The hackers considered that they were working for the North Korea regime successfully brought at least $ 300 million (£ 232 million) their record cryptocurrency of $ 1.5 billion.
Criminals, known as Lazarus Group, switched a huge extracting digital token in hacling Crypto Exchange Quitbit Two weeks ago.
Since then, it has been a cat and mouse game to follow and block the hackers to successfully convert cryptocurrencies into a usable money.
Experts say the infamous hacking team works almost 24 hours a day – potentially directing money into military development of the regime.
“Every minute is important for hackers trying to confuse the path of money and are extremely sophisticated in what they do,” says Dr. Tom Robinson, co -founder of researcher Crypto Elliptic.
Of all the criminal actors involved in the Crypto currency, North Korea is the best in the wash of cryptocurrencies, says Dr. Robinson.
“I suppose they have the whole room of people who do this using automated tools and many years of experience. We can see from their activity and that they only take a few hours of breaks every day, maybe working in shifts to turn the cryptocurrencies into cash.”
Elliptic’s analysis is set up with Beybit, who says that 20% of the funds have now “become dark”, which means that it is unlikely to ever recover.
The United States and the Allies accuse the North Koreans of have performed dozens of hacks in recent years to finance the military and nuclear development of the regime.
On February 21, the criminals hacked one of the Bybit suppliers to secretly change the address of a digital wallet, which sent 401,000 Cripto Ethereum.
Bybit thought that the funds were transferring to his digital wallet, but instead sent everything to the hackers.
Ben Zhou, Executive Director Beybit, assured the customers that none of their funds were taken.
Since then, the company has filled the stolen coins from investors’ loans, but in Zhou’s words “Walking a War Against Lazarus”.
The Lazarus Bounty program in Lazarus encourages the public members to follow the stolen funds and to freeze them where possible.
All the crypto transactions are shown on the public blockchain so that it is possible to monitor the money while moving it by the Lazarus group.
If the hackers try to use mainstream crypto service to try to turn coins into normal money like dollars, the company can freeze the crypto coins if they think they are associated with crime.
So far, 20 people have distributed more than $ 4 million awards to successfully identify $ 40 million stolen money and warning a crypto company to block transfers.
However, experts are reduced due to the chances that the rest of the funds can be compensated for, given the North Korean expertise in hacking and washing money.
“North Korea is a very closed system and an enclosed economy, so they have created a successful hacking and washing industry and they don’t care about the negative impression of cyber crime,” said Dr. Dorit of Cyber Security Company Check Point.
Another problem is that not all the crypto of the company is as ready to help as others.
Crypto Exchange Exchange accuse Nuybit and others not to stop the criminals they have brought.
More than $ 90 million has been successfully directed through this exchange.
But through the e -a -mate of E -Mail, it was challenged by the sheer owner Exch -Johann Roberts.
He admits that they did not stop the funds initially, since his company is in a long-lasting dispute with Beybit, and says his team was not sure that the coins were definitely from hacking.
He says he is working now, but claims that the main companies identifying the cryptocurrency customers leave the private and anonymous benefits of the crypto currency.
North Korea has never admitted to standing behind the Lazarus group, but it is thought to be the only country in the world to use its hacking for financial profits.
Previously, the Lazarus Group hackers were targeting banks, but in the last five years they specialized in the attack on the cryptocurrency companies.
The industry is less well protected with fewer mechanisms that will stop them with washing them.
Recent hanses associated with North Korea include:
- 2019. Hack on Upbit for $ 41 million
- Theft of cryptocurrency from Exchange Kucoin (most of the funds is recovered $ 275 million)
- Bridge Ronin 2022. Who saw hackers coming out with $ 600 million in cryptocurrencies
- About $ 100 million in cryptocurrencies were stolen in an attack on atomic wallet in 2023.
In 2020, the Americans added North Korean accused of being part of the Lazarus Group to their list of the most sought after CYBER. But the chances of individuals ever arrested are extremely slender if they do not leave their country.
