2022 has turned out to be the year of crypto hacks in many ways, according to research. But hacks are nothing new in the world of cryptocurrencies, and according to Japan, North Korea has been more active for years than we thought.
North Korea perpetrator crypto hacks Japan
The Japanese government writes that letter to Japanese companies in the crypto industry. The North Korean government has its own hacker group, Lazarus Group. This organization has been behind a huge number of devastating hacks in recent years, including that of DeBridge Finance. In fact, the Asian country is the world leader in crypto-crime, despite its population not being exactly educatedwill be acquainted with the use of the Internet.
According to Japan’s National Police Agency (NPA) and Financial Services Agency (FSA) Japanese companies are widely targeted by North Korean phishing hacks. With this, Lazarus hackers try to wrest crypto assets from unsuspecting employees. They set up fake accounts and pretend to be a top executive of the company, who would conduct business transactions. The victim is convinced to click on links and attachments that contain malware.
The files that victims end up with are said to be related to cryptocurrencies. Therefore, Japanese law enforcement officials recommend that you do not open these files, click any links, and private keys to keep to themselves. The government also believes that the Japanese should install antivirus software.
Lazarus Group was behind many more bitcoin hacks
Lazarus Group is said to be in contact with the Reconnaissance General Bureau, the secret service of North Korea. It is said to have been responsible for many crypto hacks in addition to non-money hacks, where it managed to steal some $1.59 billion in tokens. This would fund the North Korean government’s nuclear weapons program.
The organization has also been a major reason for the United States to impose sanctions on crypto mixer Tornado Cash. Lazarus would use this service to launder stolen tokens.