US Warns against North Korea-Sponsored Threats on Crypto Platforms

Tuesday, 19/04/2022 | 05:47 GMT by Arnab Shome
  • The report mentioned several hacker groups that are targeting crypto platforms.
  • Links to Lazarus Group in the recent Ronin Network attack were also established.
north korea kim

Multiple United States agencies have raised a joint alarm against the risks of cyberattacks on cryptocurrency platforms by North Korean state-sponsored hackers. The warning came after the US Treasury tied the Ronin Network hack to the notorious Lazarus Group.

The warning notice, released on Monday by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Treasury, also named other North Korean hacker groups, including APT38, BlueNoroff and Stardust Chollima, that are also active and targeting blockchain platforms.

All of these hacker groups are targeting a wide range of blockchain platforms that include “cryptocurrency exchanges, decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, play-to-earn cryptocurrency video games, cryptocurrency trading companies, venture capital funds investing in cryptocurrency and individual holders of large amounts of cryptocurrency or valuable non-fungible tokens (NFTs).”

Hundreds of Millions of Dollars Siphoned

According to a Chainalysis report, North Korean hackers stole almost $400 million in cryptocurrencies from attacking crypto platforms. But, the Lazarus Group alone siphoned around $625 million worth of cryptos from the Ronin Network last March.

The US Treasury directly linked Lazarus to the Ronin hack and sanctioned an Ethereum wallet tied to the attack. Now any known entity making transactions with that sanctioned wallet address will also risk US sanctions. Moreover, it is the first time the US sanctioned a North Korea hacker-linked crypto wallet.

Despite the alerts and the tightening of cybersecurity , the US agencies do not believe to see a downturn in such attacks on crypto platforms anytime soon.

“These actors will likely continue exploiting vulnerabilities of cryptocurrency technology firms, gaming companies, and exchanges to generate and launder funds to support the North Korean regime,” the government’s warning stated.

Earlier, a United Nations report revealed that the North Korean regime is using the stolen cryptocurrencies to fund its nuclear missile programs. A US court recently jailed the Co-Founder of Ethereum, Virgil Griffith, for educating North Koreans on the use of cryptocurrencies to evade sanctions.

Multiple United States agencies have raised a joint alarm against the risks of cyberattacks on cryptocurrency platforms by North Korean state-sponsored hackers. The warning came after the US Treasury tied the Ronin Network hack to the notorious Lazarus Group.

The warning notice, released on Monday by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), and the Treasury, also named other North Korean hacker groups, including APT38, BlueNoroff and Stardust Chollima, that are also active and targeting blockchain platforms.

All of these hacker groups are targeting a wide range of blockchain platforms that include “cryptocurrency exchanges, decentralized finance (DeFi) protocols, play-to-earn cryptocurrency video games, cryptocurrency trading companies, venture capital funds investing in cryptocurrency and individual holders of large amounts of cryptocurrency or valuable non-fungible tokens (NFTs).”

Hundreds of Millions of Dollars Siphoned

According to a Chainalysis report, North Korean hackers stole almost $400 million in cryptocurrencies from attacking crypto platforms. But, the Lazarus Group alone siphoned around $625 million worth of cryptos from the Ronin Network last March.

The US Treasury directly linked Lazarus to the Ronin hack and sanctioned an Ethereum wallet tied to the attack. Now any known entity making transactions with that sanctioned wallet address will also risk US sanctions. Moreover, it is the first time the US sanctioned a North Korea hacker-linked crypto wallet.

Despite the alerts and the tightening of cybersecurity , the US agencies do not believe to see a downturn in such attacks on crypto platforms anytime soon.

“These actors will likely continue exploiting vulnerabilities of cryptocurrency technology firms, gaming companies, and exchanges to generate and launder funds to support the North Korean regime,” the government’s warning stated.

Earlier, a United Nations report revealed that the North Korean regime is using the stolen cryptocurrencies to fund its nuclear missile programs. A US court recently jailed the Co-Founder of Ethereum, Virgil Griffith, for educating North Koreans on the use of cryptocurrencies to evade sanctions.

About the Author: Arnab Shome
Arnab Shome
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About the Author: Arnab Shome
Arnab is an electronics engineer-turned-financial editor. He entered the industry covering the cryptocurrency market for Finance Magnates and later expanded his reach to forex as well. He is passionate about the changing regulatory landscape on financial markets and keenly follows the disruptions in the industry with new-age technologies.
  • 6652 Articles
  • 101 Followers

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