Its the second day Infosecurity Europe 2022 I saw Geoff WhiteInvestigative journalist and author of the book Penguin Lazarus Hist, Discuss how government-sponsored cyber-attackers interact increasingly with organized crime gangs, working seamlessly around the world. White has also touched the emerging world of cryptocurrency theft.
To illuminate the growing link between cyber security and geopolitical issues, White began by analyzing and contextualizing the Lazarus group, which has been accused of carrying out a decade-long cyber-attack by the North Korean government. White continues to say that North Korea is a unique case of cybercrime, as most hackers seek strategic advantage through data hacking, with North Korea sponsoring cyber-attackers specifically to hack for money. This is due to the international sanctions imposed on the country and its financial isolation, which means that North Korean government hackers are increasingly lining up with organized criminals to fuel the country’s economy.
White is discussing a selection of relevant case studies, including the recent Cosmos Cooperative Bank and Bank of Valletta cyber theft, both of which were linked to the North Korean government, which is working closely with state-funded cyber hacker organizations. Criminal
The session ended with some important takeaways, with White emphasizing that cryptocurrency is the “soft underbelly” of the financial system that is increasingly being targeted, stolen funds have been used for malicious purposes, and organized criminals are increasingly falling into bed. Nation-state hacker. These evolutions in cyberspace present new challenges in both cybersecurity and geopolitics.