North Korea has an elite group of hackers, known as APT 38, which stole $1 billion from online banks and cryptocurrency exchanges last year.
Hackers created fake cryptocurrencies targeting digital exchanges with the aim of funding the country's military and nuclear weapons.
In order to prevent North Korea from developing nuclear weapons, various nations have imposed sanctions and restricted imports. In response, APT 38 is attacking banks with weak security and creating crypto scams to steal even more money for their cause.
"Security analysts unanimously believe that the funds stolen by the hacking group – a significant percentage of North Korea's GDP – are being channeled into the DPRK's missile and nuclear development programs," said an anonymous security expert.
North Korea's APT 38 is dramatically increasing cybercrime rates . Attacks are now not just about stealing money but also the possibility of new nuclear threats funded by naive crypto investors.
What we need to ask ourselves, according to the anonymous security expert, is whether the fact that North Korea is testing its next missile by paying with bitcoin is a trend that could take on destructive proportions worldwide.
