In recent years, North Korea has notably intensified its cyber operations, particularly targeting the cryptocurrency industry. This strategic shift emerged around 2017 when the country’s cybercriminal activities, previously focused on traditional financial institutions, pivoted towards the burgeoning field of digital currencies. The impetus for this change was likely due to the increased scrutiny and enhanced cybersecurity measures adopted by banks and financial institutions following a series of high-profile heists, including the infamous Bangladesh Bank robbery, according to Recorded Future.
Cryptocurrency, being a relatively new and less regulated industry, presented a lucrative and vulnerable target. North Korean operatives, leveraging their state-supported cyber capabilities, have since been implicated in a series of sophisticated attacks on various cryptocurrency exchanges and platforms globally. By 2022, their efforts…