After the continued sanctions imposed on the North Korean regime by the indiscriminate use of atomic bombs and constant accusations of human rights violations, a wave of rumours has intensified around the world indicating that Kim Jong Un's government would be interested in cryptocurrencies to finance the state, carrying out various attacks on South Korean companies in order to acquire some cryptographic currencies.

According to Kwak Kyoung-ju, director of a team of hacker analysts for the South Korean Financial Security System, a group of North Korean hackers would have carried out joint attacks to hijack computers and mine Monero. A situation that, according to South Korean authorities and international researchers, could be linked to the Pyongyang leaders.

The hacker unit was christened Andariel and attacked a server of a succorean company last summer of 2017, mining 70 Monero coins that generated a profit of $27,000 at the current currency price. Kwak Kyoung-ju points out that this group of criminals is constantly looking to generate small amounts of money without waking up the gamut of cybersecurity platforms, reaching its goal:

"Andariel is looking for everything that generates cash these days. The dust accumulated over time builds a mountain."

The South Korean authorities believe that this increase in hacker activity may be due to the growing appetite of the Kim Jong Un government for cryptocurrencies. An outlook that could be indicating that the North Korean state plans to use cryptographic coins as a new source of national income, circumventing the sanctions imposed by the United States and the international community on oil trade and supply.

South Korea fears that the current situation threatens the financial and cyber security of the entire country, as hackers like Andariel and others are likely to opt for a wider impact radius. Therefore, they are on alert against repeated malware attacks by Bitcoin exchange houses and national companies throughout the country.

Lee Dong-geun, chief analyst at the Korea Internet Security Center in Seoul, said in a forum that even private companies could be affected by this new form of attack:

"North Korea's threats meant attacks on the government and national defense, but now looming over the private sector. They mainly seek information for financial purposes."

For example, there has recently been an increase in hacking of cryptocurrency exchange houses throughout South Korea, a surge that has affected Youbit and Bithumb, among others. In Youbit's particular case, the token exchange platform had to close down until further notice after going bankrupt.

As if that were not enough, the South Korean security agencies have also stated that there is a high probability that these attacks on exchange houses across the country will come directly from the top leadership of North Korea, with North Korea being the most interested in generating financial gains. Also, the United States would also have recently accused that the powerful WannaCry ransomware that wreaked so much havoc last 2017 could have been an attack managed from North Korea.

The North Korean government totally denies its involvement in such illegal activities. However, South Korean authorities and companies are preparing for better cybersecurity systems in view of the fact that in the coming months the UN could tighten financial measures against the North Korean regime, all with the aim of halting the flow of funds for nuclear weapons. A decision that could intensify the wave of hacking and ransomware.