North Korean hackers have been targeting the infrastructure and cryptocurrency wallets worldwide. Greek security expert Vangelis Stykas identified 1,640 organizations across 57 countries hit by the attack. His investigation, which gained unauthorized access to the networks run by North Korean hackers, took about 22 months.
At the Black Hat conference in Las Vegas, Stykas spoke about the attacks, mentioning that around 700 to 800 companies out of 1,640 had fallen victim to “truly malicious” intrusion. In some cases, the servers and AWS accounts were compromised at the root level by state-sponsored groups.
Stykas did not disclose how he managed to infiltrate the North Korean hacking groups. He noted that his computer might have been infected with the group’s malware since their computers were infected.
The security analyst had access to Slack and Discord accounts controlled by the hackers and gathered five terabytes of data.
Lazarus Group complex, one of the North Korean state-sponsored hacking groups, has been using encrypted messaging services like Telegram and Signal to coordinate crypto heists and money laundering schemes. According to the report by Chainalysis, which monitors illicit crypto transactions, North Korean hackers have generated more than $2.02 billion in 2025, a 51 percent increase from the previous year.
Their cumulative cryptocurrency theft since 2017 reached about $6.75 billion in value through crypto heists. Moreover, 76% of crypto heists worldwide occurred in the first four months of 2026, with North Korean-sponsored groups being the masterminds behind these crimes.
The groups are also changing their tactics, shifting from compromised encryption keys to social engineering to infiltrate new crypto exchanges. Stykas added that toward the end of 2024, attackers primarily used social engineering to convince victims to install malicious software on their computers by posing as recruiters offering high-paying IT jobs.
The software would allow hackers to access the victims’ computers under the guise of testing their skills.
The list of companies targeted by North Korean hackers includes Chinese smartphone manufacturer Oppo, Boston’s Children Hospital, tech firms in Japan, Italy’s judicial organizations, and Belgium’s Flemish government. Several of the organizations, including Flemish government agencies and Boston’s Children Hospital, noted that the breach originated from third-party contractors, and the damage was minimal.
Moreover, Stykas added that many of his warnings went unheeded by the organizations that had fallen victim to the attacks. His research revealed that many organizations are using third-party contractors and service providers that operate as subcontractors for different firms. A single compromised third-party organization can lead to a security breach of multiple organizations.
North Korean hackers not only target crypto wallets but also use their IT expertise to infiltrate organizations and exfiltrate data. Experts believe that North Korea continues to fund its nuclear program from the proceeds of these crimes. Moreover, hackers pose as legitimate IT professionals offering their services on job boards, eventually getting hired and transferring the earnings to North Korean banks.
Authorities believe North Korean hackers’ activities are designed to circumvent sanctions imposed on the country.
According to experts, the infiltration of crypto exchanges, technology companies, and financial organizations will enable North Korea to bypass sanctions while funding its military expansion and nuclear program. Andariel hacker group, which targets defense and nuclear-related organizations, was dismantled by security agencies in 2024.
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