UN: North Korean hackers stole a record amount of cryptocurrency in 2022.

North Korean hackers stole a record amount of cryptocurrency in 2022 and targeted networks of foreign aerospace and defence companies. The UN report, seen by Reuters, says.

South Korea’s assessment puts the figure at $630 million, while cybersecurity specialists estimate the damage at more than $1 billion.

Analysts at Chainalysis, meanwhile, say that last year the attacks yielded North Korea about $1.7 billion in cryptocurrency.

The UN added that the hackers’ methods have become more sophisticated, making it harder to track stolen assets.

Most attacks were carried out by cybercriminals controlled by North Korea’s General Bureau of Reconnaissance. The groups include Kimsuky, Lazarus Group and Andariel.

\”These subjects continued to illegally pursue victims to obtain revenue and information valuable to the DPRK, including its weapons programmes,\” the report says.

The groups distributed malware by a variety of methods, including phishing.

\”Initial contacts with individuals were established via LinkedIn, and once trust with targets was established, the malware was delivered via WhatsApp,\” the UN noted.

The FBI accused North Korean hackers — Lazarus Group and APT38 — of the Horizon Bridge hack worth $100 million.

The UN has repeatedly warned that North Korea continues to develop its nuclear programmes, and that funds obtained from attacks on cryptocurrency exchanges are a major source of financing. In 2019, sanctions observers said that DPRK had received about $2 billion for these purposes over several years.

In November 2022, US-sanctioned cryptocurrency mixer Tornado Cash was accused of facilitating financing of North Korea’s nuclear program.