MOSCOW (Sputnik) — South Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS) suspects Pyongyang of hacking into cryptocurrency exchange services, Yonhap News Agency reported Saturday.
According to sources cited by Yonhap, the NIS has evidence that Pyongyang stole personal information in June from around 30,000 users of Bithumb, South Korea's biggest cryptocurrency exchange, and robbed virtual money from another cryptocurrency exchange, Coinis, in September.
READ MORE: Hacking Alert: US Warns Against North Korean ‘Hidden Cobra’ Cyber Attacks
The attack was reportedly launched with the help of the same code, which has been used by the Lazarus group (formerly known as Guardians of Peace, GOP) accused of attacking the Sony Pictures company over its film, dubbed The Interviewk, about a plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
South Korea is a hub for trading virtual currencies despite a government clampdown and North Korean cyberattacks. Illustration by @BryanFountain https://t.co/4b5KipporQ pic.twitter.com/KXD9JddRRQ
— Lynne Carty (@lynnecarty) December 7, 2017
KIm In Ryong, North Korea's Deputy Permanent Representative in the United Nations, said that attempts to link North Korea with the cyberattacks were "ridiculous."
