Security
North Korea’s World-Class Hackers: The Secret Weapon Behind Binance’s Fall
Modern Diplomacy · 13 hours ago · Read the Full Story on Modern Diplomacy
AI SUMMARY
North Korea runs a state-sponsored cyber warfare program that trains elite hackers from a young age, fueling major international crypto thefts like the Binance breach.
- North Korea selects approximately 150 to 200 promising middle school students each year to study computer science and feed its cyber operations.
- The country established a cyber unit in 1998, which expanded significantly under leader Kim Jong Un alongside its nuclear program.
- Top-performing students are sent to prestigious universities and military cyber units, where they learn cryptocurrency technologies and reverse-engineering.
- Successful hackers receive benefits including large cash bonuses, foreign trips, nice apartments in Pyongyang, and potential salaries equal to 30% of a heist's profits.
- South Korean intelligence estimates that North Korea's privileged hacking force comprises roughly 8,400 operatives in total.
- Blockchain firms attribute the $6.3 billion Binance crypto hack and other major thefts to North Korean-linked groups such as TraderTraitor and Lazarus.
- North Korean state media labels hackers as scientists or researchers and avoids public acknowledgement of illegal cyber activities.
- Despite perks, hackers endure harsh working conditions, long hours, strict surveillance, and potential punishment for failing to meet financial targets.
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