North Korea is a lot in the news recently, and all for not so good reasons. The reports of the country performing cyber-attacks against South Korean Bitcoin exchanges are coming in.
The Cyber Warfare Research Centre reportedly stated that at least one of the country’s Bitcoin exchange became the target of a hacking attempt, which likely originated from North Korea. The attack on the exchange was one of the many targets that come under the widespread attack on the finance sector on South Korean Institutions.
The attacks were unlike the usual malware these days and were instead distributed through emails to the exchange employees. The malware would embed itself on the computer’s network on opening the email. So far the number of businesses affected is unknown.
According to the reports, the country is targeting Bitcoins to fund its nuclear ambitions by obtaining money through these exchanges.
However, the move is not a very smart one, as bitcoins are not anonymous. The stolen amount can be tracked on the public blockchain. It is speculated that the nation targeted the exchange to make off more anonymous altcoins.
It is also possible that North Korea is in a way lashing out rather than it being an attempt to steal the currency. As South Korea has become the hub for Bitcoin and other altcoins trading, any attack on such an active exchange could give out a strong message to South Korea.
