Hackers from North Korea have been accused by US authorities of carrying out attacks aimed at mining cryptocurrencies and robbing banks.
According to the Korea Herald, the US has imposed sanctions on North Korea, both political and economic. That's why cyberattacks are becoming more and more common. For profit. Hackers have been blamed for attacks on major companies, such as Sony Pictures Entertainment in 2014, a bank robbery in Bangladesh in 2016, and the WannaCry ransomware attack in 2017.
US authorities accuse North Korean hackers of stealing cryptocurrency
According to Voice of America (VOA), a spokesperson for the FBIsaid that there is evidence that hackers originating from North Korea are responsible for several breaches. These breaches resulted in the loss of millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrencies.
In September 2018, a Korean hacker named Park Jin-hyok was indicted by the US Department of Justice for participating in cryptojacking operations.
According to the FBI, the cause of these attacks is likely related to US sanctions on North Korea. Since sanctions have economic implications, hackers are launching attacks to make money, either by robbing banks or stealing cryptocurrencies.
America is particularly concerned about North Korea's frequent cryptojacking attacks. Both the FBI and other government agencies are doing everything they can to stop malicious activity related to cryptocurrencies.
Erin Joe, a special agent at the FBI with years of experience investigating criminal acts and national security issues, explained that cryptojacking is a relatively new fad.
Precisely because this is something new, the authorities will have to learn a lot about it so they can deal with it.
However, the US and the FBI are not only concerned about North Korea. They are also investigating similar activities in China, Iran and Russia.
