Last weekend, a local South Korean newspaper reported that the country’s intelligence agency confirmed that North Korean hackers were responsible for severely damaging attack campaigns launched against popular South Korean cryptocurrency exchanges. In the last year alone, South Korean crypto exchanges lost a total of 7.6 billion won worth of cryptocurrencies due to this attack campaign.
The attacks included more than theft, however. According to the media outlet, Chosun Ilbo, the South Korean National Intelligence Agency (NIS) confirmed that the state-backed North Korean hackers also instigated a data leak. The data leak, which occurred this past summer, explosed the information of over 36,000 accounts from the world’s biggest crypto exchange platform, Bithumb. In addition, other South Korean crypto exchanges also fell victim to theft from the same hackers, including Youbit and Coinis, in April and September, respectively.
According to Ilbo, the total worth of the stolen cryptocurrencies amounts to $82.7 million USD. The media outlet, and NIS, confirmed that the North Korean hackers previously blackmailed Bithumb for the sum of 6 billion won in exchange for deleting the leaked information. In addition, the hackers launched an email phishing campaign against 10 large cryptocurrency exchanges in October 2017. Fortunately, this campaign was prevented by KISA.
According to the NIS, the particular malware employed in the October attacks is similar to the malware used in the high-profile Sony Pictures attack in 2014, as well as the Bangladesh Central Bank attack of 2016. Chosun Ilbo added that the NIS confirmed that the emails used in the attack campaign originated from North Korean IP addresses. So far neither the NIS or affected cryptocurrency exchange has commented on these latest findings.
The attacks included more than theft, however. According to the media outlet, Chosun Ilbo, the South Korean National Intelligence Agency (NIS) confirmed that the state-backed North Korean hackers also instigated a data leak. The data leak, which occurred this past summer, explosed the information of over 36,000 accounts from the world’s biggest crypto exchange platform, Bithumb. In addition, other South Korean crypto exchanges also fell victim to theft from the same hackers, including Youbit and Coinis, in April and September, respectively.
According to Ilbo, the total worth of the stolen cryptocurrencies amounts to $82.7 million USD. The media outlet, and NIS, confirmed that the North Korean hackers previously blackmailed Bithumb for the sum of 6 billion won in exchange for deleting the leaked information. In addition, the hackers launched an email phishing campaign against 10 large cryptocurrency exchanges in October 2017. Fortunately, this campaign was prevented by KISA.
According to the NIS, the particular malware employed in the October attacks is similar to the malware used in the high-profile Sony Pictures attack in 2014, as well as the Bangladesh Central Bank attack of 2016. Chosun Ilbo added that the NIS confirmed that the emails used in the attack campaign originated from North Korean IP addresses. So far neither the NIS or affected cryptocurrency exchange has commented on these latest findings.