A report unveiled by the U.S. Army reveals that North Korea now has more than 6,000 hackers stationed in countries such as Belarus, China, India, Malaysia, Russia, among others. The operations of four sub divisions are overseen by Bureau 121, the cyber warfare guidance unit of the hermit nation. The report, named North Korean Tactics, suggests the hackers do not exclusively launch cyberattacks from North Korea itself, as the country lacks the IT infrastructure to deploy the massive campaigns. Financial crimes division The “financial crime division” called the Bluenoroff Group has around 1,700 members and is dedicated to crypto crimes …
While the value of cryptocurrencies has varied wildly in the last year, this has not diminished crypto’s attractiveness to criminals. Many of them are moving their illegal activities underground and outside the view of law enforcement. Because of the public nature of most blockchains, however, this rapid movement shouldn’t be a major concern to law enforcement agencies. With the right tools and training, following the proceeds of crypto-enabled crime is actually not as difficult as it may seem. However, intelligence agencies must have a cryptocurrency investigation plan that includes the right tools to lawfully collect digital evidence and the properly …
"The Justice Department today filed a civil forfeiture complaint detailing two hacks of virtual currency exchanges by North Korean actors," said an Aug. 27 statement from the U.S. Department of Justice, or DoJ. "These actors stole millions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency and ultimately laundered the funds through Chinese over-the-counter (OTC) cryptocurrency traders." The hackers allegedly utilized 280 different digital asset accounts. March 2020 saw details of a 2019 legal case surface, in which two Chinese nationals allegedly hijacked piles of crypto assets totaling $250 million. This ordeal appears to be connected with the present day news, the DoJ statement …
Budget smartphones released by South Korean consumer electronics giant Samsung will reportedly feature cryptocurrency and blockchain features, local English-language local media Business Korea reports on May 14. Per the report, the crypto and blockchain-related functionality included in the Samsung S10 will be included in other Galaxy smartphone models. The electronics producer also reportedly plans to cooperate with telecommunications companies on blockchain-based mobile identification cards and local currencies. Chae Won-Cheol, senior managing director of the product strategy team at Samsung Electronics' Wireless Business Division, reportedly said: “We will lower barriers to new experiences by gradually expanding the number of Galaxy models …
North Korea-backed cyberattacks on cryptocurrency and tech firms will only become more sophisticated over time as the country battles prolonged economic sanctions and resource shortages. Former CIA analyst Soo Kim told CNN on Sunday that the process of generating overseas crypto income for the regime has now become a “way of life” for the North Koreans: “In light of the challenges that the regime is facing — food shortages, fewer countries willing to engage with North Korea [...] this is just going to be something that they will continue to use because nobody is holding them back, essentially.” She also …