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The US is concerned about the participation of IT specialists from the DPRK in the development of crypto projects

U.S. government departments believe that North Korean cryptocurrency developers are using the income to build up the country’s military power in circumvention of sanctions.

US Department of State, Treasury Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) placed a joint warning stating that North Korean IT specialists are trying to get jobs in cryptocurrency projects by posing as citizens of other countries. The authorities noticed that very often programmers from the DPRK pretend to be citizens of the United States.

“Some IT professionals from the DPRK developed virtual currency exchanges or created analytical tools and applications for cryptocurrency traders, and sold their products themselves,” the document says.

Government agencies have warned that hiring IT professionals from North Korea is fraught with reputational and legal risks for companies as US authorities and the United Nations (UN) have imposed sanctions against North Korea. The statement highlights that many DPRK blockchain specialists are generating income that contributes to the creation of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles in violation of US and UN sanctions.

This is not the first time that the US authorities have accused the DPRK of playing a “dirty game” in the crypto market. In April, the US government accused North Korean hackers of attacks on American technology companies. A little earlier, US authorities discovered the connection of the North Korean hacker group Lazarus with the hack of the Ethereum sidechain Ronin Network, during which assets worth $625 million were stolen.

In February, the Center for a New American Security (CNAS) warned that the Lazarus hacker group had turned into a “skilled army of cybercriminals” that had stolen hundreds of millions of dollars worth of cryptocurrencies.

Source: Bits

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