North Korean hackers have begun to use the capabilities of artificial intelligence to attack government, military, financial organizations and cryptocurrency companies. This was reported by the Financial Times with reference to internal sources.
Earlier this information was confirmed by the developers of the AI-bot ChatGPT. They said that the attackers used this tool to collect data and create malicious code. However, cybercriminals did not limit themselves only to extracting data from ChatGPT.
"North Korean hacking groups have been seen creating recruiter profiles on LinkedIn. Generative AI helps them communicate and build a close relationship with a future victim "stated Erin Plante, VP of Research at Chainalysis platform.
Plante recounted an incident where cybercriminals used AI resources to attack an employee of a cryptocurrency #exchange in Japan. Posing as recruiters, they forced the engineer to download specialized software, which led to the system being hacked.
Shreyas Reddy, an analyst at Seoul-based information service NK Pro, noted the complex nature of these cyberattacks. Reddy noted that the attackers are looking for victims not only on #LinkedIn, but also on #Facebook, #Discord, #Telegram and #WhatsApp.
The proceeds from these hacks are used to promote the country's nuclear initiatives and support the military sector. Despite this, according to Heck Kim, a researcher at the research center, the development of artificial intelligence in North Korea is in its infancy.
Over the past two decades, local analysts have published numerous AI research reports. Cases of collaboration with Chinese researchers and the military have been recorded. For example, a 2022 publication talks about the potential of AI in modeling military conflicts and controlling nuclear reactors.
In addition, an Artificial Intelligence Research Institute was established in 2013, and several educational institutions in the country have introduced AI-focused curricula, according to undisclosed sources.
A recent report by Recorded Future revealed that North Korean hackers have stolen more than $3 billion in cryptocurrencies since 2017. North Korea's Lazarus Group, infamous for hacking Atomic Wallet for more than $100 million and the Stake platform for $41 million, has been widely publicized.
In September, South Korean authorities proposed creating a #cybersecurity committee and freezing the digital assets of DPRK hackers. This legislative project is currently at the approval stage.
