North Korean Hackers Implicated In Major Bitcoin Theft

According to Odaily, the Japanese National Police Agency announced on December 24 that the cyberattack on the cryptocurrency exchange DMM Bitcoin, resulting in the theft of Bitcoin valued at 48.2 billion yen, was orchestrated by the North Korean hacking group TraderTraitor. South Korean authorities have confirmed the criminal activity. The investigation, conducted in collaboration with the FBI and the U.S. Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center, identified the perpetrators of the theft of 4,502.9 BTC in May 2024. TraderTraitor is believed to be affiliated with the North Korean hacker organization Lazarus Group, and the attack was executed in multiple stages. The Japanese police agency stated that it will continue to work with the FBI, other U.S. government agencies, and international partners to investigate North Korean hackers' illegal activities, including cybercrime and cryptocurrency theft. In response to the incident, the police agency, the Cabinet Cybersecurity Center, and the Financial Services Agency have released documents detailing the methods and countermeasures against such attack groups, urging cryptocurrency-related businesses to exercise caution. As a result of the breach, DMM Bitcoin has decided to shut down its exchange operations. The assets and customer accounts will be transferred to SBIVC Trade, with the transition expected to be completed by March 2025.