Hackers based in North Korea have reportedly stolen at least $35 million U.S. in cryptocurrencies as part of a coordinated attack.
The latest attack continues a string of cryptocurrency thefts by hackers in North Korea.
U.S. intelligence officials have said that they believe the North Korean government is using the stolen crypto to finance its nuclear and ballistic weapons programs.
In the most recent theft, hackers drained the cryptocurrency accounts of multiple customers using Atomic Wallet, an Estonia-based company that claims to have five million users globally.
Some victims of the hack took to social media to plead for their crypto, posting their cryptocurrency addresses in case the hackers want to return the stolen assets.
Over the past few years, North Korean hackers have stolen billions of dollars’ worth of crypto from individuals and banks, providing revenue for the country’s government, according to the United Nations (UN).
The amount ultimately stolen in the Atomic Wallet hack could exceed $35 million U.S. as an investigation into the incident continues.
U.S. President Joe Biden has said that detecting and stopping North Korean hackers has become a national security priority for his administration.
About half of North Korea’s missile program has been funded by cyberattacks and cryptocurrency, a White House official said in May of this year.
