North Korean state-backed hackers have stolen cryptocurrency worth more than $400 million (CZK 8.7 billion) over the past 18 months, exploiting covertly obtained webcam footage. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said so overnight. The hackers also reportedly used artificial intelligence tools in their scams, which helped them impersonate other people during online video calls. This was reported by the Reuters agency. North Korea has not yet responded to the accusation.
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North Korean Hackers Use Deepfake Scams and the AI-Based FaceStealer Method
According to the FBI, the hackers used a method known as FaceStealer, which combines social engineering with artificial intelligence tools. During video conferences, the scammers used covertly obtained webcam footage to deceive their victims. Using artificial intelligence, they also created fake videos, so-called deepfakes, of well-known and influential figures. They then used their likeness to gain the trust of the people they targeted.
The FBI said it had managed to disrupt the cloud infrastructure the hackers used in the operation and to secure more than 900 video recordings of victims from various parts of the world. It warned that anyone who owns cryptocurrency or works in the industry could become a target of similar attacks.
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North Korean Hackers Fund Weapons Program: FBI Warns of Cryptocurrency Theft
According to Brett Leatherman, head of operations at the FBI’s cyber division, the North Korean regime uses the proceeds from large-scale cryptocurrency thefts to finance its illegal weapons program. He said the FBI intends to continue exposing and disrupting the activities of North Korean hackers and to raise the costs their operations bring them.
North Korea also faces accusations of a large-scale theft of virtual assets from the cryptocurrency exchange Binance at the end of October. The FBI blamed a group known as TraderTraitor for the attack, in which, according to the bureau, cryptocurrency worth over six billion dollars disappeared. Pyongyang rejected the US accusations. Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, called them absurd rhetoric and an attempt to portray North Korea as a cyber-criminal state. In her words, it is a serious political provocation against her country.
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Source: ČTK
Image source: Unsplash
