Today, the F.B.I. Issued There is a warning that North Korean hackers are targeting US cryptocurrency exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to steal digital assets. The FBI said hackers are using advanced social engineering techniques to breach the security of companies associated with these financial products.
According to the FBI, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is conducting highly targeted social engineering attacks on employees of the decentralized finance (DeFi) and cryptocurrency industries. These attacks involve detailed pre-operational research and customized scenarios designed to exploit the victim’s specific interests and connections.
“North Korean malicious cyber actors conducted research on various targets associated with cryptocurrency exchange-traded fund(s) over the past several months,” the FBI said. “This research included pre-operational preparations that indicate North Korean actors may attempt malicious cyber activities against companies associated with cryptocurrency ETFs or other cryptocurrency-related financial products.”
The FBI emphasized that North Korean cyber actors are a persistent threat to organizations that manage large amounts of cryptocurrencies. Their tactics include impersonating trusted contacts, creating fake scenarios involving job offers or investments, and deploying malware through long and trusted conversations with their targets.
The agency urged businesses operating in the cryptocurrency sector to adopt stringent security measures, including multi-factor authentication, limiting access to sensitive information, and verifying the identities of contacts through multiple channels. The FBI also recommended that companies with access to significant cryptocurrency holdings should take additional precautions to protect their assets from these sophisticated cyber threats.
