The US is ramping up its measures against cyberattacks from North Korea by imposing sanctions on individuals and companies that aid unauthorized access to American crypto firms.
Reasons for Sanctions
The US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced on July 8 sanctions against North Korean national Song Kum Hyok and Russian national Gayk Asatryan for facilitating schemes that funnel illicit funds to Pyongyang's weapons programs.
Participants in Cyberattacks
Song Kum Hyok has been linked to North Korea's elite Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB) and its notorious hacking unit, Andariel. According to OFAC, he helped North Korean IT operatives secure remote employment at crypto-related companies by crafting fake identities based on stolen US citizen data.
Gayk Asatryan, meanwhile, is accused of using his Russia-based businesses to employ dozens of North Korean IT workers.
US Response Measures
Cyber investigator ZachXBT estimates that nearly 920 North Korean IT workers may have secured roles within crypto firms, generating over $16 million in salaries. In response, US authorities are intensifying their crackdown, targeting both the individuals orchestrating these schemes and the corporate infrastructure sustaining them.
The sanctions against North Korean and Russian nationals underscore the US efforts to combat cybersecurity threats and abuses in the crypto industry that finance prohibited programs.
