cybercrime
FBI: North Korea behind theft of millions in cryptocurrencies
173,600 units of the cryptocurrency Ethereum were stolen. Photo: Marijan Murat/dpa
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Attackers stole around 620 million dollars in crypto money. For the US Federal Police FBI it is clear who is responsible for the online theft.
According to the FBI, North Korea is responsible for one of the largest known online thefts, in which hackers stole cryptocurrencies worth around 620 million dollars (570 million euros).
An investigation found that North Korea-affiliated groups Lazarus Group and APT38 carried out the theft reported on March 29, the FBI said. The FBI and the US government will continue to expose and combat North Korea’s illegal activities, including cybercrime and theft of cryptocurrencies, it said.
Players of the online game Axie Infinity were affected by the theft. The attackers targeted so-called bridge software that could be used to exchange crypto money in the game for other digital currencies. Among other things, 173,600 units of the cryptocurrency Ethereum were stolen, according to the operators of the hacked Ronin Bridge. The attackers managed to withdraw the digital currencies with hacked crypto keys. Bridges have been considered a potential risk in the industry for some time, as little is known about their security measures.