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Researchers Link CryptoCore Attacks On Cryptocurrency Exchanges to North Korea
State-sponsored hackers affiliated with North Korea have been behind a slew of attacks on cryptocurrency exchanges over the past three years, new evidence has revealed.
Attributing the attack with medium-high likelihood to the Lazarus Group (aka APT38 or Hidden Cobra), researchers from Israeli cybersecurity firm ClearSky said the campaign, dubbed
CryptoCore, targeted crypto exchanges in Israel, Japan, Europe, and the U.S., resulting in the theft of millions of dollars worth of virtual currencies.
The findings are a consequence of piecing together artifacts from a series of isolated but similar reports detailed by F-Secure, Japanese CERT JPCERT/CC, and NTT Security over the past few months.
Natasa Adzic / Getty Images
When hacking began many decades ago, it was mostly the work of enthusiasts fueled by their passion for learning everything they could about computers and networks. Today, nation-state actors are developing increasingly sophisticated cyberespionage tools, while cybercriminals are cashing in millions of dollars targeting everything from Fortune 500 companies to hospitals.
Cyberattacks have never been more complex, more profitable, and perhaps even more baffling. At times, drawing clear lines between different kinds of activities is a challenging task. Nation-states sometimes partner with each other for a common goal, and sometimes they even appear to be working in tandem with cybercriminal gangs. Moreover, once a malicious tool is released, it is often recycled and reused by competing threat actors.
Leonard said boys having the right talents are taken to Pyongyang where they are trained in selective schools where they get access to technology which is beyond the wildest imagination of those of their age. They are made to undergo training at specialist universities or secret military college hidden in the mountains. Leonard said the candidates are prepared there “to be unleashed on their country’s enemies”. The hackers are also adding to North Korea s coffers
This elite army of North Korea is said to be at least 7,000 strong and it features not only computer hackers who spread chaos and confusion among Pyongyang s enemies but also add billions to their country’s coffers through theft and extortion. Leonard expressed surprise that while North Korea remains one of the poorest nations in the country where the farmers still use hands to work in fields and access to computer is still something distant, it still produces an army of proficient hackers.