US authorities announce $10 million reward for information on North Korean hackers

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The US State Department has doubled the reward to $10 million for information that will help prevent cyber espionage, the theft of cryptocurrencies and critical information by North Korean hackers.

In February, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) released
activity report of North Korean groupshackers, where he said that they "have evolved from a scattered gang of scammers into a skilled army of cybercriminals and foreign affiliates." This army has become sophisticated methods to steal hundreds of millions of dollars worth of crypto assets and critical information.

Previously, the analytical company Chainalysis in itsThe study linked North Korean Lazarus Group hackers to seven attacks targeting cryptocurrency platforms in 2021. More than $400 million worth of virtual assets were stolen during the attack.

Conclusions of CNAS and Chainalysis supported by the AgencyUnited States Cyber ​​and Infrastructure Security Administration (CISA), which notes in its bulletin that the North Korean government "uses malicious cyber activity to gather intelligence, conduct attacks, and generate revenue."

“North Korea regularly commits cyber theftsdata from financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges around the world, stealing hundreds of millions of dollars, likely to fund government priorities such as nuclear and missile programs,” the CISA review says.

Against this backdrop, the US State Departmentannounced a $10 million reward for any information that helps the government prevent cyber espionage, the theft of cryptocurrency and other critical information by North Korean hackers.

REWARD! Up to $10M for information on DPRK-linked malicious #cyber activity & #cyberthreat actors.

Got a tip on the Lazarus Group, Kimsuky, Bluenoroff, Andariel, or others? Send it to RFJ via our TOR-based tip line. https://t.co/oZCKNHU3fY pic.twitter.com/ONKHXwWiV1

— Rewards for Justice (@RFJ_USA) July 26, 2022

“If you have information about any person,associated with North Korean cyber hacking groups (such as Andariel, APT38, Bluenoroff, Guardians of Peace, Kimsuky, Lazarus Group) that are involved in attacking US critical infrastructure in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, you may be eligible for a reward ," the ministry said in a statement.

The reward is twice the amountan agency proposal published in March 2022 for similar information on the financial mechanisms used by government-sponsored and working on behalf of the North Korean government hacker groups.

In July, the US Department of Justice reported
about a successful operation to confiscate about $500,000 in cryptocurrencies from North Korean hackers, which were obtained through ransomware attacks.