North Korean Hackers Funding Country’s Illegal Nuclear Program, US Investigation Finds – By Marcy Kreiter (IB Times) / Aug 26 2020
- The hackers, known as the BeagleBoyz, used malware known as FASTCash to empty ATMs
- The BeagleBoyz are controlled by North Korean intelligence and part of a group known as Hidden Cobra
- They have tried to steal $2 billion since 2015, including $1 billion from the New York Fed
U.S. investigators said Wednesday hackers tied to the North Korean government are funding the government’s nuclear weapons program by draining ATMs and making fraudulent money transfers. The hackers have attempted to steal $2 billion since 2015.
The investigation by the FBI, Homeland Security, Treasury and U.S. Cyber Command found the campaign includes spearphishing, was aimed at the retail payment infrastructure known as SWIFT and involved “lucrative cryptocurrency thefts.”
“North Korea’s intelligence apparatus controls a hacking team dedicated to robbing banks through remote internet access,” a joint statement by the agencies said. The hackers are referred to as the BeagleBoyz, which likely have been around since 2014 and are part of a larger group known as Hidden Cobra. Some of their activities have been contracted out to known criminal groups.
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