UN report: North Korean hackers infiltrated cryptocurrency industry with fake resumes, earning $600 million a year
North Korean hackers infiltrate cryptocurrency jobs by faking resumes, a "quiet war" that generates $600 million a year for North Korea. According to the United Nations, more than 4,000 North Koreans have been sent into the Western tech industry, including the cryptocurrency industry, to steal sensitive data, conduct hacking attacks, and steal assets. Such faked hiring practices pose a major threat to the cryptocurrency industry, especially in the context of its growing popularity. Taylor Monahan, a security researcher at MetaMask, said North Korea generates revenue through illegal sales of resources, IT jobs, and hacking attacks. According to Erin Plante, vice president of Chainalysis, there is evidence that some of the money North Korea funds its nuclear weapons program comes from hacking cryptocurrency websites, such as the Lazarus Group's attack on Ronin Bridge in 2022 for $540 million.