North Korea stole more than 2 trillion won ($1.36 billion) in virtual assets last year, a record haul that came as its hackers broadened attacks from crypto platforms to South Korea's defense, IT and software supply chains.
The findings were disclosed Sunday in the National Intelligence Service's annual cybersecurity threat and response report, published by its National Cyber Security Center.
Corporate software supply chains were among the targets. North Korean hackers exploited vulnerabilities in three domestic document management solutions to create administrator accounts and steal data, with leaked sensitive files ranging from at least 700 to as many as 2.6 million by product.
The report also said Andariel, a North Korean hacking group, infiltrated critical infrastructure networks through an IT maintenance firm, seized control of more than 20 servers and stole key materials, including blueprints.
The attacks underscore increasingly sophisticated tactics, including breaches of open-source supply chains, deepfake video interviews used to mask identities and secure jobs at overseas IT firms, and remote smartphone resets designed to disable security responses, the report said.
"The large-scale personal data leaks and government network paralysis incidents seen last year show that cyberthreats can translate directly into physical damage," the center said. "We will continue to respond preemptively to threats using artificial intelligence and new technologies and build a trustworthy digital environment."
jwc@heraldcorp.com
