{"id":85607,"date":"2020-10-09T17:38:24","date_gmt":"2020-10-09T14:38:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/separating-fact-from-fiction-cointelegraph-magazine\/"},"modified":"2020-10-09T17:38:24","modified_gmt":"2020-10-09T14:38:24","slug":"separating-fact-from-fiction-cointelegraph-magazine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/separating-fact-from-fiction-cointelegraph-magazine\/","title":{"rendered":"#Separating fact from fiction \u2013 Cointelegraph Magazine"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_84 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2f07d4195b9\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a2f07d4195b9\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/separating-fact-from-fiction-cointelegraph-magazine\/#How_much_exactly_have_the_hackers_stolen\" >How much exactly have the hackers stolen?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/separating-fact-from-fiction-cointelegraph-magazine\/#How_do_the_hacking_groups_operate\" >How do the hacking groups operate?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/separating-fact-from-fiction-cointelegraph-magazine\/#Whats_the_size_of_the_alleged_cyber_force_and_where_are_they_based\" >What\u2019s the size of the alleged cyber force and where are they based?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/separating-fact-from-fiction-cointelegraph-magazine\/#What_can_be_done_to_stop_the_hackers\" >What can be done to stop the hackers?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/separating-fact-from-fiction-cointelegraph-magazine\/#How_serious_is_the_issue\" >How serious is the issue?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<p>&#8220;<strong>#Separating fact from fiction \u2013 Cointelegraph Magazine<\/strong>&#8221;<br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/North-Korean-crypto-hacking-Lazarus-Beagleboyz-hiddencobra-scaled.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<div><strong>The Democratic People\u2019s Republic of Korea<\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong> is widely considered to be a state sponsor of cryptocurrency hacking and theft.<\/strong> While multiple United States presidents have attempted to stifle the growth of North Korean nuclear energy development through a <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a> of economic sanctions, cyber warfare is a new phenomenon that can\u2019t be dealt with in a traditional way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unfortunately for the crypto industry, DPRK has taken a liking to digital currencies and seems to be successfully escalating their operations around stealing and laundering cryptocurrencies to bypass crippling economic sanctions that have led to extreme poverty in the pariah state.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some evidence suggests that Pyongyang has racked up well over two billion U.S. dollars from ransomware attacks, hacks, and even stealing crypto directly from the public through a spectrum of highly sophisticated phishing tricks. Sources explain that the regime employs various tactics to convert the stolen funds into crypto, anonymize it and then cash out through overseas operatives. All this activity has been given a name by the United States authorities \u2014 \u201chidden cobra.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To achieve all this, not only does the operation need to be backed by the state, but many highly trained and skilled people have to be involved in the process to pull off the heists. So, does the DPRK indeed have the means and capability to engage in cyber warfare on a global scale, even as the country\u2019s leadership openly <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/world\/north-korea-s-kim-jong-un-acknowledges-his-country-s-n1237625\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">admits<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that the country is in a state of economic disrepair?<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_much_exactly_have_the_hackers_stolen\"><\/span>How much exactly have the hackers stolen?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2020 continues the pattern of multiple updates<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on how much money the DPRK-backed hackers have allegedly stolen. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A United Nations report from 2019 stated that North Korea has snatched around <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/world-asia-49259302#:~:text=North%20Korea%20has%20stolen%20%242,leaked%20United%20Nations%20report%20says.&amp;text=In%20a%20statement%20on%20Wednesday,the%20US%20and%20South%20Korea.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$2 billion<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from crypto exchanges and banks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most recent <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">estimates seem to indicate that the figure is around the $1.5<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2020\/05\/28\/us\/politics\/north-korea-money-laundering-nuclear-weapons.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$2.5 billion<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> mark. These figures suggest that, although the exact data is hard to come by, the hacking efforts are on the rise and are bringing in more funds each year. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Furthermore, multiple reports of <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">new ransomware, elaborate hacks and novel ransomware methods<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, only supports this data.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Madeleine Kennedy, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">senior director of communications at crypto forensics firm Chainalysis told Cointelegraph that the lower estimate is likely understated: <\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"pullquote align-center\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We are confident they have stolen upwards of $1.5B in cryptocurrency. It seems likely that DPRK invests in this activity because these have been highly successful campaigns.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, Rosa Smothers, senior vice president at KnowBe4 cyber security firms and a former CIA technical intelligence officer, told Cointelegraph that despite the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">recent accusations from the United States Department of Justice<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that North Korean hackers stole nearly $250 million from two crypto exchanges, the total figure may not be as high, adding: \u201cGiven Kim Jong Un\u2019s recent public admission of the country\u2019s dismal economic situation, $1.5B strikes me as an overestimate.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_the_hacking_groups_operate\"><\/span>How do the hacking groups operate?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s not very clear how exactly those North Korean hacking groups organized and where they are based, as none of the reports paint a definitive picture. Most recently, the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">U.S. Department of Homeland Security stated that a new DPRK-sponsored hacking group, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BeagleBoyz, is now active on the international scene<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. The agency suspects the gang to be a separate, but affiliated entity to the infamous Lazarus group, which is rumored to be behind several high profile cyber attacks. DHS believes that BeagleBoyz have attempted to steal almost $2 billion since 2015, mostly targeting banking infrastructure such as ATMs and the SWIFT system.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Ed Parsons, managing director UK of F-Secure, \u201cThe \u2018BeagleBoyz\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ears to be the U.S. government name for a recent cluster of activity targeting financials in 2019\/2020,\u201d adding that it\u2019s unknown if the unit is new or \u201ca new name attached to an initially unattributed campaign that was then later linked to DPRK activity.\u201d He further told Cointelegraph that the malware samples were associated with those under the \u201chidden cobra\u201d codename, which is a term used by the U.S. government to identify DPRK online activity.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the U.S. Security &amp; Infrastructure Security Agency, the hidden cobra-related activity was flagged in 2009 and initially aimed to exfiltrate information or disrupt the processes. The main <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/us-cert.cisa.gov\/ncas\/alerts\/TA17-164A\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">vectors<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of attack are \u201cDDoS botnets, keyloggers, remote access tools (RATs), and wiper malware,\u201d targeting the older versions of Microsoft\u2019s Windows and Adobe software. Most notably, the hidden cobra actors make use of the DDoS botnet infrastructure, known as the DeltaCharlie, which is associated with over 600 IP addresses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">John Jefferies, chief financial analyst at CipherTrace, a blockchain forensics company, told Cointelegraph that there are several prominent hacking groups and it\u2019s extremely difficult to differentiate between them. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anastasiya Tikhonova, head of APT Research at Group-IB, a cybersecurity company,<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> echoed the sentiment saying that regardless of the group name attached, the attack vectors are very similar:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cInitial access to targeted financial organizations is gained using spear phishing \u2014 either via emails with a malicious document masquerading as a job offer or via personal message on <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social media<\/a> from a person pretending to be a recruiter. Once activated the malicious file downloads the NetLoader.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, several experts have outlined JS-sniffers as the latest thread to emerge, most commonly linked to the Lazarus group. JS-sniffers is a malicious code which was designed to steal payment data from small online stores, an attack in which all the parties who engaged in the transaction would have their personal information exposed.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Overall, the hacking groups seem to be perfecting the use of a very specific set of malicious tools that center around phishing, whereby unknowing company employees install the infested software which then spreads across the enterprise system targeting the core functions. Most notable examples of suspected activity are the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2014 hack of Sony Pictures and the spread of the WannaCry malware in 2017<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to various sources most attacks are executed to a high standard with evidence of lengthy preparations. The latest examples from 2020 include a <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fake trading bot website built to lure in DragonEX crypto exchange employees<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which raked in $7 million in crypto.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In late June, a report warned that the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Lazarus Group will seek to launch a COVID-19 specific attack<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in which the hackers would impersonate government offices in countries that are issuing pandemic-related financial relief to direct unwary email recipients to a malicious website that would siphon financial data and ask for crypto payments. Additionally, crypto industry job seekers also appear to be under threat as according to a recent report, the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hackers are using LinkedIn-like emails to send fake job offers<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> containing a malicious MS Word file.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most notable are the attacks on the crypto exchanges. Although the exact amount stolen from trading platforms is unknown, several <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/hardfork\/2018\/10\/19\/cryptocurrency-attack-report\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reports<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by cybersecurity firms and various <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">government<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> agencies put the estimated amount at well over a billion dollars. However, DPRK is only suspected of being behind some of those hacks with only a handful of cases having been tracked back to the regime. The best known example is the hack of the Japanese-based Coincheck exchange during which <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">$534 million in NEM tokens was stolen<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In late August 2020 <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a statement from the <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">U.S. Department of Justice outlined the details of an operation to launder stolen funds through crypto, which was traced back to 2019. It is believed that the North Korean-backed hackers initiated the heist with the support of a Chinese money laundering ring. The two Chinese nationals in question used the \u201cpeel chain\u201d method to launder $250 million through 280 different digital wallets, in an attempt to cover the origin of the funds.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Kennedy, DPRK-linked hacking groups are indeed becoming more sophisticated at hacking and laundering: \u201cSpecifically, these cases highlighted their use of \u201cchain hopping,\u201d or trading them into other cryptocurrencies such as stablecoins. They then convert the laundered funds into Bitcoin.\u201d Chain hopping refers to a method where traceable cryptocurrencies are converted into privacy coins such as Monero or Zcash.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Addressing the apparent success of the hackers, Parsons believes that:<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"pullquote align-center\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The small IP space\/access to the internet in the DPRK, as well as its less connected nature to global\/online systems, arguably offers it an asymmetric advantage in relation to cyber operations.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Speaking to Cointelegraph, Alejandro Cao de Benos, a special delegate of the Committee for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries of DPRK refuted claims that the country is behind the crypto cyber attacks, stating that it\u2019s a \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">big propaganda campaign\u201d against the government:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cUsually the DPRK is always portrayed in the media as a backward country without internet access or even electricity. But at the same time they always accuse it of having higher capacity, faster connectivity, better computers and experts than even the best banks or US government agencies. It does not make sense just from a basic logical and technological point of view.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whats_the_size_of_the_alleged_cyber_force_and_where_are_they_based\"><\/span>What\u2019s the size of the alleged cyber force and where are they based?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another number that various reports and studies fail to agree upon is the size of the cyber force that the North Korean government allegedly backs. Most recently, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The U.S. Army report \u201c<\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"http:\/\/www.documentcloud.org\/documents\/7038686-US-Army-report-on-North-Korean-military.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">North Korean Tactics<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stated that the figure stands at 6,000 operatives<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, mainly spread across <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Belarus, China, India, Malaysia, Russia and several other countries, all united under the leadership of a cyber warfare unit called \u201cBureau 121.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Parsons believes that the number was most likely derived from previous estimates obtained from a defector who fled DPRK in 2004, although conceding that: \u201cThe figure may also have been generated from internal U.S. intelligence that is not publicly attributable.\u201d <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tikhonova agreed that it\u2019s hard to assess the size of the force: \u201cDifferent reports can give a clue to the regime\u2019s \u2018hiring\u2019 strategy,\u201d she said, continuing that:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe North Koreans have been allegedly attracting students from universities. In addition, some of the North Korean hackers were recruited while working for IT companies in other countries. For example, Park Jin Hyok, an alleged member of the Lazarus APT wanted by the FBI, worked for the Chosun Expo IT company based in Dalian, China.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Smothers was more skeptical of the report\u2019s conclusion, however stating that: \u201cThis is consistent with reporting from South Korea\u2019s Defense Ministry who had, just a few years ago, estimated their number at 3,000,\u201d adding that if anyone has such information, it would be South Korea. <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Addressing the question of how the set cyber force is organized and where it\u2019s based, <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">she also agreed that most hackers would be stationed around the world \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">given the limited bandwidth in North Korea.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jefferies also believes that \u201cNorth Korean hackers are based all around the world \u2014 a privilege afforded to very few in the country,\u201d also adding that in most cases, hacks attributed to North Korea are not conducted by hackers-for-hire. Tikhonova provided a possible reason behind both assertions, saying:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"pullquote align-center\">\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is unlikely that they would give someone access to their list of potential targets or their data given the sensitivity of the operations, so those are carried out by North Koreans themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_can_be_done_to_stop_the_hackers\"><\/span>What can be done to stop the hackers?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It seems that, so far, identifying the movement of money and uncovering some of the third parties is the only thing that has been done successfully \u2014 at least in public. One <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zawya.com\/mena\/en\/press-releases\/story\/New_report_reveals_how_cyber_attackers_cash_out_following_largescale_heists-ZAWYA20200902095044\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">report<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> by BAE systems and SWIFT has even outlined how the funds stolen by the Lazarus Group are processed through East Asian facilitators, eluding the Anti-Money Laundering procedures of some crypto exchanges.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jeffreries believes that more needs to be done in that regard: \u201cAuthorities need to enact and enforce crypto anti-money laundering laws and <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Travel<\/a> Rule regulation to ensure that suspicious transactions are reported.\u201d He also stressed the importance of authorities ensuring that virtual asset service providers deploy adequate Know Your Customer measures:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOne known tactic used by North Korean-backed professional money launderers was the use of fake IDs to create accounts at multiple exchanges. The exchanges with stronger KYC controls were better able to detect these fraudulent accounts and prevent the abuse of their payment networks.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the information revealed by the U.S. DOJ, those laundering the money <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">target exchanges with weaker KYC requirements<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Although no platforms have been named, these are likely smaller exchanges operating solely in the Asian market. There\u2019s also the issue of some authorities being unable to do take action when it comes to companies that are not under their jurisdiction, as Smothers points out:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe global nature of these exchanges, as well as the Chinese OTC (over-the-counter cryptocurrency trading) actors, limits our Justice Department\u2019s ability to take swift action. For instance, the DOJ filed a civil action in March, but the Chinese OTCers pulled all funds out of the target accounts within hours of the DOJ\u2019s filing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But what complicates things even further is that according to a Chainalysis <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/blog.chainalysis.com\/reports\/cryptocurrency-exchange-hacks-2019\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">report<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> from 2019, those laundering the funds may take months \u2014 if not years \u2014 to complete the process. According to the authors supported the notion that attacks were for financial benefit as the stolen crypto could sit idle in wallets for up to 18 months prior to being moved due to fear of detection.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, researchers believe that since 2019, the tactics employed by the criminals have changed to accommodate faster withdrawals through the extensive use of cryptocurrency mixers to obscure the source of the funds. Kennedy explained further:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe can\u2019t speak to the reasons behind their techniques, but we have noticed that these actors often move money around from one hack, then stop to concentrate on moving money around from another hack, and so on. [\u2026] Cryptocurrency exchanges were critical in the investigations, and the public and private sectors are working together to address the threats posed by these hackers.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_serious_is_the_issue\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How serious is the issue?<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When discussing DPRK, it\u2019s hard to avoid the topics of human rights violations and the nuclear program that the country <\/span><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.armscontrol.org\/act\/2020-09\/news\/un-experts-see-north-korean-nuclear-gains\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">reportedly<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> continues to run, despite tightening economic sanctions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In that sense, the dynastic government guided by supreme leader Kim Jong Un is seen to be of considerable threat to the world: But now, it\u2019s not just because of the regime\u2019s nuclear aspirations. Even though cybersecurity attacks in most cases are not directly harmful to a human life, these efforts provide a steady stream of income for the state to continue strengthening its ideals and goals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But, perhaps more worryingly, is that, according to several commentators cited in this article, the hacking groups that seem to be backed by the North Korean regime continue to expand and branch out their operations since their methods are proving to be exceedingly successful. Jefferies for one believes that: \u201cIt\u2019s not a surprise that they would continue to build upon and invest in their cyber capabilities.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<hr\/>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">News<\/a> articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/general\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">General category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/magazine\/2020\/10\/09\/north-korean-crypto-hacking-separating-fact-from-fiction\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;#Separating fact from fiction \u2013 Cointelegraph Magazine&#8221; The Democratic People\u2019s Republic of Korea is widely considered to be a state sponsor of cryptocurrency hacking and theft. While multiple United States presidents have attempted to stifle the growth of North Korean nuclear energy development through a series of economic sanctions, cyber warfare is a new phenomenon&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":85608,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cointelegraph.com\/magazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/North-Korean-crypto-hacking-Lazarus-Beagleboyz-hiddencobra-scaled.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-85607","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85607","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85607"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85607\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/85608"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85607"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85607"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85607"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}