North Korea stole more crypto in 2022 than any other year: UN report

A confidential United Nations study has revealed North Korean hackers stole much crypto assets successful 2022 than successful immoderate different twelvemonth truthful far.

The UN report, seen by Reuters, was reportedly submitted to a 15-member North Korea sanctions committee past week.

It recovered North Korean-linked hackers were liable for betwixt $630 cardinal and much than $1 cardinal successful stolen crypto assets past twelvemonth and targeted networks of overseas aerospace and defence companies.

The UN study besides noted that cyber attacks were much blase than successful erstwhile years, making tracing stolen funds much hard than ever.

"[North Korea] utilized progressively blase cyber techniques some to summation entree to integer networks progressive successful cyber finance, and to bargain accusation of imaginable value, including to its weapons programmes,” according to autarkic sanctions monitors successful its study to the UN Security Council Committee.

Last week, a Feb. 1 report from blockchain analytics steadfast Chainalysis came to a akin conclusion, linking North Korean hackers to astatine slightest $1.7 cardinal worthy of stolen crypto successful 2022, the highest successful history.

North Korean hackers person been stealing much crypto than ever before. Source Chainalysis

The steadfast named the cybercriminal syndicates arsenic the astir "prolific cryptocurrency hackers implicit the past fewer years." 

"For context, North Korea's full exports successful 2020 totalled $142 cardinal worthy of goods, truthful it isn't a agelong to accidental that cryptocurrency hacking is simply a sizable chunk of the nation's economy," Chainalysis said.

According to Chainalysis, astatine slightest $1.1 cardinal of the stolen loot was taken from hacks of DeFi protocols, making North Korea 1 of the driving forces down the DeFi hacking inclination that intensified successful 2022.

Chainalysis has revealed North Korean hackers thin to nonstop ample amounts of their stolen funds to mixers. Source Chainalysis.

The steadfast also  recovered that speech from DeFi protocols, North Korea-linked hackers thin to nonstop ample sums to mixers. 

"In fact, funds from hacks carried retired by North Korea-linked hackers determination to mixers astatine a overmuch higher complaint than funds stolen by different individuals oregon groups," Chainalysis said.

Related: North Korean hacking enactment ceases aft regulators instrumentality KYC: Report

North Korea has frequently denied allegations of being liable for cyber attacks, but the caller UN study alleged North Korea's superior quality bureau, the Reconnaissance General Bureau uses respective groups specified arsenic Kimsuky, Lazarus Group and Andariel specifically for cyber attacks.

"These actors continued illicitly to people victims to make gross and solicit accusation of worth to the DPRK, including its weapons programmes," the UN study said.

Submitted earlier the 15-member council's North Korea sanctions committee past week, the afloat study is reportedly owed for nationalist merchandise aboriginal this period oregon aboriginal March.