photo source, NEWS1
Officials monitoring the status of DDoS attacks on major domestic sites in the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) Internet Infringement Response Center General Control Room
The White House has pointed out that North Korea is taking huge amounts of money needed for nuclear and missile development through malicious cyber activities such as hacking.
Anne Neuberger, deputy adviser for cyber and new technologies at the White House National Security Council, said in a briefing on the 17th (local time), “North Korea is funding 30 percent of its missile development through hacking, such as numerous cyberattacks on cryptocurrency infrastructure. “he said.
In particular, it was pointed out that “Tornado Cash,” a mixer used for cryptocurrency money laundering (a technology that splits cryptocurrency so that it is not known who sent it), helped move up to 600 million dollars (approximately 811 billion won) of illegal funds. .
The US government recently imposed sanctions on the mixer company.
“In response, the United States will strengthen intelligence cooperation with our allies and continue to work to prevent the movement of illicit funds using cryptocurrency infrastructure,” Newberger said.
In this regard, Lim Jong-in, a chair professor at Korea University’s Graduate School of Information Security, who served as a special adviser for security at the Blue House, told the BBC that “North Korea steals at least one billion dollars each year.”
Cyber capabilities are North Korea’s main asymmetric force
In fact, North Korea classifies cyber capabilities into three major asymmetric forces along with nuclear weapons and missiles.
Previously, Chairman Kim Jong-un emphasized cyber warfare along with nuclear weapons and missiles in the early days of his power as an ‘all-around treasured sword’ that guarantees the People’s Army’s ruthless strike capability.
photo source, KCNA via Archyde.com
Cyber capabilities are North Korea’s three major asymmetric forces, along with nuclear weapons and missiles.
Professor Lim pointed out, “Israel and North Korea are considered cyber powerhouses following the United States, China, and Russia.”
Earlier, the US Department of Homeland Security also announced on the 15th that North Korea had stolen more than $1 billion (about 1.316 trillion won) of cryptocurrency and hard currency over the past two years and used it to fund its weapons of mass destruction program.
Meanwhile, according to a report by the United Nations Security Council Sanctions Committee on North Korea in April, North Korea spent more than 50 million dollars (approximately 60.7 billion won) on at least three virtual currency exchanges in North America, Europe, and Asia from 2020 to mid-2021. Allegedly stolen.
A private cybersecurity company’s assessment that North Korea’s virtual currency theft amounted to 400 million dollars (approximately 485.4 billion won) was also included.
“Cyber-attacks on virtual assets remain an important source of revenue for North Korea,” the report said, “and continues to target financial institutions, cryptocurrency companies and exchanges.”
In addition, he pointed out that North Korea’s cyber tactics to evade the international community’s sanctions and surveillance network are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
‘One hack to finance 31 missile launches’
On the same day, the ‘Korea-US Joint Public-Private Symposium on Responses to North Korean Cryptocurrency Stealing’ was held in Seoul.
In particular, it was pointed out that the problem of stealing cryptocurrency lies behind North Korea’s recent ballistic missile test launches.
“North Korea hacked a game company called ‘Exy Infinity’ in March and stole 620 million dollars (about 830 billion won) worth of cryptocurrency,” said Kim Gunn, head of the Korean Peninsula Peace Negotiation Headquarters at the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
In particular, it pointed out that “North Korea is estimated to have spent up to 650 million dollars in launching 31 ballistic missiles in the first half of this year alone.” In other words, with just one hack in March, North Korea earned the entire cost of launching ballistic missiles in the first half of the year.
photo source, Archyde.com
Scenes from recent North Korean missile test launches released by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on November 7, 2022
Director Kim said, “Many experts are raising the possibility that Southeast Asian countries, where the size of the cryptocurrency market is rapidly increasing, may become targets of North Korean hacking attacks. More countries should pay attention to North Korea’s cyber threats.” .
“North Korea’s illegal cyber activities should not be simply perceived as financial crimes in cyberspace,” said Lee Tae-woo, head of the North Korean Nuclear Diplomacy Planning Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “he emphasized.
“North Korea is one of the most notorious countries that actively extorts money from other countries, corporations and people,” said Jeong Park, the U.S. Deputy Special Representative for North Korea, who visited South Korea. Not only that, but we can prevent the use of North Korea’s illicit funds for weapons development programs.”
In fact, cyber security experts agreed that a long period of research and a lot of data are needed to prove North Korea’s hacking-related activities.
Moon Jong-hyun, director of East Security (ESRC), emphasized this, saying, “We are facing the task of increasing the number of experts at the government agency and private level.”
Professor Lim Jong-in also said, “Cyber security is something that requires global cooperation,” and added, “Korea-U.S. cooperation must go beyond military alliances and be strengthened to cyber alliances.”
About 200 government officials from 16 countries, cryptocurrency exchanges, and block chain companies attended the symposium, and information on North Korea’s cases and methods of illegal cyber activities and malicious software frequently used by North Korea was shared.