North Korea-linked hackers siphon cryptocurrency worth over 1.7 billion yen from engineers
Hackers tied to North Korea compromised more than 30,000 IT engineers' devices across 100+ regions, stealing cryptocurrency assets valued at at least 1.7 billion yen.
A coordinated hacking campaign linked to North Korea targeted information-technology engineers worldwide, using counterfeit recruitment ads to deploy malware. More than 30,000 devices in over 100 nations, among them Japan, were compromised between December 2025 and around July of this year. The breach enabled the thieves to appropriate more than 7,000 cryptocurrency assets, valued at a minimum of 1.7 billion yen.
The illicit proceeds were routed to North Korean accounts. Japan’s National Police Agency disclosed the operation together with law-enforcement agencies from the United States, Australia and Germany, warning of the method that allows remote control of supporters' devices to extract foreign currency.
Why it matters
The theft highlights a growing state-backed cyber threat to global tech workers and the cryptocurrency market.
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