Security News > 2021 > May > 'World's Leading Bank Robbers': North Korea's Hacker Army

Nuclear-armed North Korea is advancing on the front lines of cyberwarfare, analysts say, stealing billions of dollars and presenting a clearer and more present danger than its banned weapons programmes.

Pyongyang is under multiple international sanctions over its atomic bomb and ballistic missile programmes, which have seen rapid progress under North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. But while the world's diplomatic focus has been on its nuclear ambitions, the North has been quietly and steadily building up its cyber capabilities, and analysts say its army of thousands of well-trained hackers are proving to be just as dangerous.

Since then the North has been blamed for a number of high-profile cyberattacks, including a $81 million heist from the Bangladesh Central Bank as well as the 2017 WannaCry global ransomware attack, which infected some 300,000 computers in 150 nations.

Most state-sponsored hacking groups are mainly used for espionage purposes, but experts say North Korea is unusual in also deploying its cyber capabilities for financial gain.

The February US indictment accused the three North Koreans of stealing more than $1.3 billion worth of money and cryptocurrency from financial institutions and companies.

"This allows North Korea to easily launder money back into the country, outside the control of the global banking system," he said.

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