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North Korea may be hacking computers to mine cryptocurrencies
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North Korea may be hacking computers to mine cryptocurrency

A report has surfaced that claims North Korea may be hacking computers in order to mine cryptocurrency.

Cybersecurity firm AlienVault claims it’s found malware that installs code for mining the cryptocurrency Monero – an alternative to bitcoin – on hacked machines and then funnels earnings to a university server in North Korea.

Apparently the malware was installed on on computers on Christmas Eve last year and apparently sends all mined currency to Kim Il Sung University in Pyongyang.

Now, AlienVault has stated that just because the monero is being sent to a North Korean university doesn’t necessarily mean that the country’s authorities are behind these rather illicit efforts. Kim Il Sung University boasts a student body comprised of students from varying nationalities.

That having been said, though, the North Korean government’s coffers aren’t exactly overflowing due to the fact the country has been isolated thanks to international sanctions because of its rather aggressive actions in the past. Mining monero, which is has been self-described as “secure, private and untraceable” could slake the country’s financial thirst.

“Crypto-currencies may provide a financial lifeline to a country hit hard by sanctions, and as a result universities in Pyongyang have shown a clear interest in cryptocurrencies,” AlienVault said in a statement.

At the time of writing, it’s unclear how the malware was installed and exactly how much cryptocurrency it has managed to mine since being deployed.

We now wait with baited breath for President Donald Trump to weigh in on this matter on Twitter.

[Source: WSJ]

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