Cybersecurity
North Korean Hackers Hijack Computers to Mine Cryptocurrencies
- New hacking group linked to North Korea behind Monero mining
- Hacking attacks focused primarily on financial gain in 2017
This article is for subscribers only.
North Korean hackers are hijacking computers to mine cryptocurrencies as the regime in Pyongyang widens its hunt for cash under tougher international sanctions.
A hacking unit called Andariel seized a server at a South Korean company in the summer of 2017 and used it to mine about 70 Monero coins -- worth about $25,000 as of Dec. 29 -- according to Kwak Kyoung-ju, who leads a hacking analysis team at the South Korean government-backed Financial Security Institute.