North Korean hackers are bitcoins "secretly" to fund nuclear program

North Korean hackers are attacking computers in search of control to mine and earn Bitcoin and other criptomoedas in order to be able to support their coffers and finance their military and nuclear programs, mainly to circumvent the recent sanctions against the country. The information is from the British newspaper The Independent.

Following the rapid rise in the price of bitcoin, there has been an increase in the number of cases and the risk that North Korean hackers will increasingly attack exchanges in search of greater resources. A group called Andariel secretly took over a server from a South Korean company in the middle of the year, according to a team of hacker analysis from the Financial Security Institute told Bloomberg. Since then, more and more cases are emerging.

In this attack, the group used the computers to gain about 70 Moneros - a digital currency known to be anonymous. According to the Financial Security Group, Andariel was able to take over the server undetected. This, however, was a "weaker" attack, raising about $ 26,000.

Since May, North Korean hackers have hit at least three South Korean exchanges with the intent to steal funds, Internet security firm FireEye said in September. Although the amount raised is still unclear, it is believed that North Korea will continue to carry out attacks to fund its nuclear programs.

"With North Korea's strict control over its military and intelligence capabilities, it is likely that this activity was carried out to fund the state or personal coffers of the Pyongyang elite, as international sanctions have restricted the country," said FireEye .