North Korea dismisses FBI findings on Binance hack as 'absurd'

· Cybersecurity · North Korea · United States

North Korea on Tuesday dismissed US allegations that it was behind the massive cryptocurrency heist from Binance, calling the claims "absurd rhetoric" that is nothing new. Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, called the FBI's findings a "political provocation". The FBI has blamed a North Korea-linked group for the hack, which drained about $6.3 billion and prompted Binance to freeze withdrawals. Net outflows from the exchange reached about $3.6 billion to $4.7 billion as withdrawals resumed, according to different tallies from the company and a spokesperson. Experts say North Korea's hacker units, including one known as "TraderTraitor", are increasingly using AI to find targets.

Why it matters:The dispute highlights how crypto exchanges have become a front line in state-linked cybercrime and the difficulty of attributing attacks.

Key points

  • Kim Yo Jong called the FBI's findings a "political provocation".
  • The hack drained about $6.3 billion from Binance.
  • North Korea-linked units are increasingly using AI to find crypto targets, experts say.

Sources (original reporting)

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