Leaders of the G7 countries have planned to discuss issues related to cyberattacks and breaches of crypto projects by North Korea at the summit in Canada, scheduled for June 2025. This decision reflects the growing concern of the global community regarding the use of stolen funds by Pyongyang to finance its military programs.
This is reported by Finway
Although the agenda for the meeting in Alberta has not yet been finalized, it is likely that discussions will also touch on current topics such as the war in Ukraine and conflicts in the Middle East. One of the key issues will be the trade disputes between the U.S. and other G7 members. Cyberattacks from North Korea are expected to be addressed within the broader discussion on threats to international security.
Increase in Cyber Threats from North Korea
In recent years, North Korea has built a powerful hacking infrastructure capable of attacking global companies. An example of this is one of the largest hacks in cryptocurrency history, amounting to $1.46 billion, which targeted the exchange Bybit.
According to Chainalysis, in 2024, hackers from North Korea stole over $1.34 billion in cryptocurrency, doubling the figure from 2023. The incident with Bybit and numerous attacks on other companies have once again drawn the attention of world leaders to this issue.
Complex Sanctions Evasion Schemes
In addition to direct hacks, North Korea also employs complex schemes involving IT specialists abroad. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, thousands of North Korean workers are employed in Western companies under false identities, allowing them to legally earn and transfer funds back to their regime, circumventing sanctions.
These specialists, using fake accounts and proxy servers, earn hundreds of millions of dollars each year, which go towards funding the North Korean Ministry of Defense and weapons of mass destruction programs, raising concerns among global leaders.
It is worth noting that Google has stated that hackers from North Korea have targeted companies in Europe.