North Korean hackers have been targeting cryptocurrency organizations for several reasons, primarily to generate revenue and circumvent international sanctions. Here are the main motives behind these attacks:
1. **Revenue Generation:**
- **Funding the Regime:** North Korea is under strict international sanctions, limiting its access to traditional financial systems. Cryptocurrency theft provides a lucrative and relatively untraceable source of income to fund the regime's activities, including its nuclear weapons program.
- **High Returns:** Cryptocurrencies can be stolen in large quantities and quickly converted into cash, often without the stringent regulatory scrutiny seen in traditional financial systems.
2. **Circumventing Sanctions:**
- Cryptocurrencies offer a way to bypass international financial sanctions. By converting stolen cryptocurrencies into fiat money or using them to purchase goods and services, North Korea can acquire resources that would otherwise be inaccessible.
3. **Exploiting Security Vulnerabilities:**
- Cryptocurrency exchanges and organizations often have weaker security compared to traditional financial institutions, making them attractive targets. The relatively nascent state of the crypto industry means that there are often vulnerabilities that can be exploited.
4. **Operational Costs:**
- The revenue from these cyber-attacks helps support the operations of North Korean hacking units, such as the Lazarus Group, which require significant resources to maintain their activities.
5. **Political and Strategic Motives:**
- Beyond financial gain, these attacks also serve as a demonstration of North Korea's cyber capabilities. The country uses cyber operations to project power and show its ability to disrupt global financial systems.
Overall, the combination of financial need, strategic benefits, and the relative anonymity provided by cryptocurrencies makes targeting crypto organizations highly attractive to North Korean hackers.