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

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US State Departmentdoubled the reward to $10 million for information that will help prevent cyber espionage, the theft of cryptocurrency and critical information by hackers from the DPRK.

In February, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) released
report on the activities of North Korean groupshackers, where they reported that they had “morphed from a loose band of scammers into a sophisticated army of cybercriminals and foreign affiliates.” This army began to steal hundreds of millions of dollars worth of crypto assets and critical information using sophisticated methods.

Formerly analytics company Chainalysisin its research, linked North Korean hackers Lazarus Group to seven attacks targeting cryptocurrency platforms in 2021. More than $400 million worth of virtual assets were stolen during the attack.

Conclusions CNAS and Chainalysis supportedThe US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), which notes in its advisory that the North Korean government "uses malicious cyber activity to gather intelligence, conduct attacks and generate revenue."

“North Korea regularly commitscyber theft of data 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 said.

Against this background, the State DepartmentThe United States has announced a $10 million reward for any information that helps the government prevent cyber espionage and 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 anyindividuals associated with North Korean cyber hacker groups (such as Andariel, APT38, Bluenoroff, Guardians of Peace, Kimsuky,  Lazarus Group) that are involved in attacks on US critical infrastructure in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, you may receive the right to a reward,” the department said in a statement.

The reward amount is doublethe department's proposal, published in March 2022, for similar information about the financial mechanisms used by hacker groups sponsored and operating on behalf of the North Korean government.

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.