Seven Chinese nationals on Monday were accused by the Justice Department of targeting American journalists and political figures, including senior members of a 2020 presidential campaign team, in a wide-ranging hacking operation. 
The defendants, Ni Gaobin, Weng Ming, Cheng Feng, Peng Yaow, Sun Xiaohui, Xiong Wang, and Zhao Guangzong, are accused of aiding a Chinese-backed hacking group in support of China&#8217;s Ministry of State Security’s foreign political and business espionage as well as surveillance of Hong Kong democracy activists and the Uyghur people. The seven allegedly worked for the Hubei State Security Department, which surveilled thousands of American politicians, academics, journalists, and businessmen from 2010 to 2024, according to the <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/24-cr-43_indictment_redacted.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indictment</a>. 
“These allegations pull back the curtain on China’s vast illegal hacking operation that targeted sensitive data from U.S. elected and government officials, journalists and academics; valuable information from American companies; and political dissidents in America and abroad. Their sinister scheme victimized thousands of people and entities across the world, and lasted for well over a decade,” <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edny/pr/seven-hackers-associated-chinese-government-charged-computer-intrusions-targeting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> U.S. Attorney Breon Peace. 
During one operation during the Trump administration that lasted from June to September 2018, hackers targeted Republican and Democrat senators from more than 10 states, White House officials, members of the Departments of Justice, Commerce, Treasury, and State, and members of Congress with malicious emails, the indictment said. These emails were reportedly also sent to the spouses of some of the political figures. 
In a different operation, multiple European politicians were targeted, including members of the European Union and more than three dozen parliamentary accounts in the United Kingdom, as part of surveillance into a group of politicians examining threats from the Chinese Communist Party.  
During the 2020 presidential election cycle, a non-specified campaign was targeted by hackers.
“In or about May 2020, the Conspirators began targeting email accounts belonging to several senior campaign staff members for a presidential campaign,” the indictment says. “In or about November 2020, the Conspirators sent emails containing tracking links to targets associated with additional political campaigns, including a retired senior U.S. government national security official.”
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The DOJ said in a press release that campaign staffers for Republicans and Democrats had been targeted ahead of the 2020 election but did not specify the campaigns or races. 
The indictment also said that millions of Americans were caught up in the hacking scheme, with phone call records, cloud storage accounts, and email accounts all being exposed. 
“America’s sovereignty extends to its cyberspace,” Peace added. “Today’s charges demonstrate my Office’s commitment to upholding and protecting that jurisdiction, and to putting an end to malicious nation state cyber activity.”

US-POLITICS-BIDEN

Chinese Nationals Charged With Hacking Senior Staffers For 2020 Presidential Campaign

2020 Election

China

Communist China

Crime

Department of Justice

Hackers

Hong Kong

National Security

Politics

Hackers affiliated with China’s military have reportedly tapped into dozens of critical U.S. systems over the past year to test its capacity to create chaos in American life, according to U.S. and security industry officials.
The hacks appeared to be made with an intention toward some future action rather than disrupting systems in the moment and suggest that the People’s Liberation Army of China is testing its and the United States’ capabilities in case hostilities break out over Taiwan, experts told <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/12/11/china-hacking-hawaii-pacific-taiwan-conflict/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Washington Post</a>.
One of the agencies responsible for monitoring and combating foreign cyber threats is the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) at the Department of Homeland Security.
“It is very clear that Chinese attempts to compromise critical infrastructure are in part to pre-position themselves to be able to disrupt or destroy that critical infrastructure in the event of a conflict, to either prevent the United States from being able to project power into Asia or to cause societal chaos inside the United States — to affect our decision-making around a crisis,” CISA executive director Brandon Wales told the Post. “That is a significant change from Chinese cyber activity from seven to 10 years ago that was focused primarily on political and economic espionage.”
The cyber attacks hit various targets, including a water utility in Hawaii and at least one oil and gas pipeline. Hackers also attempted to break into Texas’ independent power grid. None of the attacks caused a significant disruption, and the hackers appeared to prioritize creating pathways into the systems that could be used again at a later date.
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“You’re trying to build tunnels into your enemies’ infrastructure that you can later use to attack. Until then you lie in wait, carry out reconnaissance, figure out if you can move into industrial control systems or more critical companies or targets upstream. And one day, if you get the order from on high, you switch from reconnaissance to attack,” Joe McReynolds, a China security studies fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, told the Post.
The jump in aggressive cyber activity out of China comes when U.S.-China relations are more tense than in previous decades.
Tensions have risen recently over China’s aggressive posturing and actions in the Indo-Pacific region, including threatening to take over Taiwan. The Biden administration has officially maintained a position of “strategic ambiguity” on Taiwan, neither committing nor declining to come to Taiwan’s aid in the event of an attack from China.
In February, the U.S. shot down a Chinese spy balloon after it traversed the continental United States. China claimed that the balloon was an unmanned civilian airship used for meteorological study that blew off course. Another spy balloon <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/chinese-spy-balloon-taiwan-election/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">appeared</a> over Taiwan last week, according to the Taiwanese defense ministry. The appearance of the new spy balloon comes months after U.S. intelligence officials reportedly believed that China had suspended its spy balloon program over the incident with the U.S.
President Joe Biden has recently attempted to cool tensions by meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a summit in San Francisco last month. Biden pressed Xi on reopening military channels between the U.S. and China and cracking down on the fentanyl precursor industry in China that fuels the Mexican drug trade.

Joe Biden, Xi Jinping

Recent Chinese Cyberattacks Aim To Cause ‘Societal Chaos’ In U.S.: Report

Recent Chinese Cyberattacks Aim To Cause ‘Societal Chaos’ In U.S.

Joe Biden

Technology

United States

World

Xi Jinping

Tens of thousands of U.S. State Department emails were stolen by a group of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/communist-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">China-based</a> hackers who breached Microsoft&#8217;s email platform earlier this year, according to a Senate staffer.
The anonymous staffer, who works for Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO), <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/chinese-hackers-stole-60000-emails-us-state-department-microsoft-hack-senate-2023-09-27/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Reuters that State Department IT officials briefed the U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday that 60,000 emails were stolen from ten different accounts — all directly working on East Asia and the Pacific.
In June, Chinese Communist Party-affiliated hackers subverted Microsoft&#8217;s system, giving them access to multiple U.S. agencies that deal with China ahead of Secretary of State Antony Blinken&#8217;s trip to Beijing.
Wang Wenbin, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, reportedly called the accusation &#8220;disinformation&#8221; to distract from the U.S. committing cyber espionage against China.
&#8220;No matter which agency issued this information, it will never change the fact that the United States is the world&#8217;s largest hacker empire conducting the most cyber theft,&#8221; Wenbin said, according to <a href="https://apnews.com/article/microsoft-china-hackers-breach-emails-9f774ea07a2857bfc05d17a261e7a705" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Associated Press</a>.
News of the hacking first became public in July, prompting the U.S. agencies to take immediate action to counter China&#8217;s brazen and frequent acts of cyber-espionage on critical infrastructure to acquire sensitive information.
The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and other senior officials at the State Department were victims of a Chinese hacking campaign that gained access to email accounts from roughly two dozen organizations that began on May 15 and went undetected until June 16.
Microsoft disclosed the hack in a <a href="https://msrc.microsoft.com/blog/2023/07/microsoft-mitigates-china-based-threat-actor-storm-0558-targeting-of-customer-email/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blog post</a>, blaming the breach on a state-backed, espionage-focused Chinese hacking group &#8220;known to target government agencies in Western Europe&#8221; known as Storm-0558. The group had begun accessing email accounts in May, affecting about 25 organizations, including government agencies and other consumer accounts likely associated with the agencies.
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Schmitt told Reuters in a statement shared by the staffer following the briefing on Wednesday that the federal government should &#8220;take a hard look&#8221; at relying on a single IT vendor as &#8220;a potential weak point.&#8221;
&#8220;We need to harden our defenses against these types of cyberattacks and intrusions in the future,&#8221; Schmitt said.
Schmitt joined over a dozen other senators earlier this year, <a href="https://www.schmitt.senate.gov/press-releases/senator-schmitt-leads-bipartisan-coalition-demanding-answers-regarding-chinas-hack-of-state-department-email-server/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sending</a> a bipartisan letter to State Department Chief Information Officer Kelly Fletcher to determine the extent of the hacker&#8217;s breach of the unclassified email server preceding Blinken&#8217;s trip to China.
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency officials warned in a joint <a href="https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/us-and-international-partners-release-advisory-warning-prc-state-sponsored-cyber-activity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> with international and domestic intelligence services that China poses a risk to American intellectual property.
&#8220;For years, China has conducted aggressive cyber operations to steal intellectual property and sensitive data from organizations around the globe,&#8221; CISA Director Jen Easterly said in a statement.
Earlier this month, the Pentagon released a new cyber strategy <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/pentagon-says-china-russia-prepared-to-launch-cyber-attacks-against-u-s-to-sow-chaos-if-war-erupts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> warning that China and Russia are prepared to launch destructive cyber attacks on U.S. critical infrastructure to &#8220;sow chaos and hinder military mobilization&#8221; in the event of war breaking out.
The Chinese Communist Party sees superiority in cyberspace as core to its theories of victory, the report reads, adding that it has engaged in espionage and theft that compromised key defense networks and broader U.S. critical infrastructure.
Microsoft reportedly said earlier this year that state-backed Chinese hackers were targeting U.S. critical infrastructure to potentially disrupt communications between the U.S. and Asia during future crises.

Washington public buildings

China-Based Hackers Accessed 60K U.S. State Dept Emails In Microsoft Breach, Senate Staffer Says

Antony Blinken

Eric Schmitt

Microsoft

State Department

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/nebraska" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nebraska</a> Republican Rep. Don Bacon said on Tuesday that the FBI informed him that operatives from the Chinese Communist Party hacked his emails. 
Bacon’s announcement comes after it was previously reported that suspected Chinese hackers gained access to communications from officials at the State Department and the Commerce Department. 
“I thank the FBI for notifying me that the CCP hacked into my personal and campaign emails from May 15th to June 16th of this year. The CCP hackers utilized a vulnerability in the Microsoft software, and this was not due to ‘user error,&#8217;” Bacon <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDonBacon/status/1691187487350177793" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said on X</a>. 
“Thus, there were other victims in this cyber operation. The Communist government in China are not our friends and are very active in conducting cyber espionage. I’ll work overtime to ensure Taiwan gets every $ of the $19B in weapons backlog they’ve ordered, and more,” he added. 
Bacon, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, has <a href="https://news.usni.org/2022/12/14/u-s-needs-to-clear-19b-in-arms-sale-backlog-to-taiwan-says-hasc-member" target="_blank" rel="noopener">consistently pushed</a> for more U.S. military equipment to be sold to Taiwan. He said the supplies are necessary for Taiwan to “deter” any action from China. 
News of the hacking of the federal agencies, which officials first discovered in June, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-republicans-open-probe-into-suspected-chinese-cyber-espionage-targeting-federal-agencies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">first made public</a> in July. 
“Microsoft notified the department of a compromise to Microsoft’s Office 365 system, and the department took immediate action to respond,” a spokesman for the Commerce Department said last month. “We are monitoring our systems and will respond promptly should any further activity be detected.”
The communications of U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burn and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia Daniel Kritenbrink <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/21/china-hackers-breach-emails-of-us-diplomats-nicholas-burns-kritenbrink.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were</a> also breached due to the hacking. 
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In March, the White House put out a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/National-Cybersecurity-Strategy-2023.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">framework</a> discussing the need for better cybersecurity, warning that China, North Korea, Russia, and Iran were all working to increase their cyber capabilities.
According to the framework, China represents “the broadest, most active, and most persistent threat to both government and private sector networks and is the only country with both the intent to reshape the international order and, increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military, and technological power to do so.”

House Republicans Hold Their Caucus Meeting On Capitol Hill

GOP Congressman Says His Emails Were Hacked By Chinese Communist Party Operatives

Congress

Cyberattack

Nebraska

Taiwan

President Joe Biden’s spin doctors continually try to put a good face on America’s ongoing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-ticking-time-bomb-china-infects-american-infrastructure-with-malware-to-disrupt-u-s-military" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cyber crisis</a>, like when they had first lady, Dr. Jill Biden, kick-off the White House’s <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/03/white-house-school-cybersecurity-summit" target="_blank" rel="noopener">back-to-school cyber safety summit</a> and tout a new “formal, ongoing collaboration” between all levels of government and school districts. But the truth is, cybersecurity is just another major issue where America is lagging under the stewardship of Biden.
As of the end of 2022, way past the point where Biden could blame this crisis on former President Donald Trump, there was a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/12/06/fixing-the-cybersecurity-staff-shortage/?sh=1eea76c55b4a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">labor shortage</a> of cyber personnel to the tune of approximately 700,000 unfilled positions throughout the job market. 
America’s understaffing in the cyber profession poses significant dangers in both the public and private sectors. In today&#8217;s interconnected climate, cyber threats and the demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals has never been higher. A shortage of proficient cybersecurity personnel poses dire consequences for national security and privacy protection.
In the public sector, under the unthinkably incompetent leadership of Alejandro Mayorkas at the top of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), federal and state level government agencies and critical infrastructure assets face countless cyber threats from <a href="https://www.cyclonis.com/state-sponsored-hacking-attacks-advanced-persistent-threats-target-2022/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">state-sponsored threat actors</a> and cybercriminals.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), a sub-agency under DHS, has put out far more than enough taxpayer dollars over the past 2-plus years to have made major strides in the cybersphere, but positive results have eluded them two-thirds of the way through Joe Biden’s current term. 
Just weeks ago, there was a <a href="https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-07/aa23-187a-increased-truebot-activity-infects-us-and-canada-based-networks.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">joint cybersecurity advisory</a> from CISA, the FBI, the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), and the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (CCCS), regarding a spike in <a href="https://www.enigmasoftware.com/truebotmalware-removal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Truebot malware</a>, a botnet that is often utilized by <a href="https://www.cyclonis.com/cisa-us-government-hit-russian-cyberattacks/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russia-backed cyber gangs like CLOP</a>.
Chinese threat actors were also just reported to be behind <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2023/07/20/politics/chinese-hackers-us-ambassador/index.html?utm_term=16898853324058b08694b5a02&amp;utm_source=cnn_Breaking+News&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;bt_ee=GdpZFzDHMEWp%2FSO0uXhyC6eVVOYxoYtvugx7hipXjPOpxvaij481g%2Fgvv3SgzDme&amp;bt_ts=1689885332408" target="_blank" rel="noopener">an attack</a> that led to the breach of an email account linked to the U.S. Ambassador to China, Nicholas Burns, as part of a larger targeted intelligence-gathering initiative.
Without adequate cyber personnel, government entities will always struggle in responding to hacks effectively. This will lead to more data breaches, disruptions of essential services, and other dangers to national security. Additionally, losing or compromising any sensitive government data may disrupt diplomatic relations or ongoing intelligence operations.
In the private sector, businesses across various industries continue to be targeted by threat actors seeking to steal valuable intellectual property, consumer information, and financial data. These kinds of breaches are regularly executed by countries like <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chinese-cybercriminal-hacker-group-stole-20-million-in-covid-relief-funds-secret-service-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">China</a>, Iran, North Korea, and Russia. 
Maintaining an understaffed private sector will slow incident response times, leaving entities exposed to prolonged hacks. The results of which will likely be larger financial losses, reputational damage, and legal liabilities.
Moreover, interconnectedness between the private and public sectors makes them interdependent. So cyber-attacks that target private companies increasingly have ripple effects on critical infrastructure and public services, including energy, transportation, and healthcare.
This only emphasizes the importance of having a deep cybersecurity workforce in both the public and private sectors, as it can more effectively collaborate to defend against threats effectively.
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To address these challenges, America needs to invest in robust cybersecurity education, training, and recruitment efforts. <a href="https://www.miragenews.com/white-house-applauds-fius-cybersecurity-1057311/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One program</a> that hopes to achieve this is Florida International University&#8217;s (FIU) cybersecurity workforce training program. This program provides free cyber training to veterans and first responders.
We must also encourage younger students to pursue careers in cyber fields and launch a consistent plan for doing so year-round, and not just trotting out Jill Biden types one week out of the year for awareness. This, in addition to offering better salaries and benefits packages, should attract the talent needed to fill critical cybersecurity roles.
This extended years’ long understaffing epidemic in the cybersecurity sector continues to pose significant risks for the United States, leaving it vulnerable to hacks on multiple fronts. At this point, a substantially larger commitment must be made towards building the well-equipped cybersecurity workforce of the future.
If we do so, it strengthens our cyber defenses, protects sensitive data, safeguards national interests, and establishes a resilient and secure cybersphere. Whether or not the 46th President and his cabinet are up to the task remains to be seen.
Julio Rivera is a business and political strategist, cybersecurity researcher, Editorial Director for <a href="https://www.reactionarytimes.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reactionary Times</a>, and a political commentator and columnist. His writing, which is focused on cybersecurity and politics, has been published by many of the most respected news organizations in the world.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Digital security concept

Cyber Personnel Shortage Is A Major National Security Fail For Biden

Alejandro Mayorkas

Cybersecurity

Readers Pass

Analysts believe that hackers from North Korea are behind a recent cryptocurrency heist that topped $100 million, and some of that money could reportedly go to the nation’s nuclear and ballistic weapons programs.
The heist occurred earlier this month and affected 5,500 crypto wallets with the Estonia-based cryptocurrency exchange Atomic Wallet, according to crypto <a href="https://hub.elliptic.co/analysis/north-korea-linked-atomic-wallet-heist-tops-100-million/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> firm Elliptical. On June 3, Atomic Wallet <a href="https://twitter.com/AtomicWallet/status/1664946301815910400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1664946301815910400%7Ctwgr%5Edff393999fa70b19dbc5c1a76d90dd632ccb5b3c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.reuters.com%2Fworld%2Fnorth-korean-hackers-stole-100-million-recent-cryptocurrency-heist-analysts-2023-06-13%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed</a> it had “received reports” of compromised wallets. 
“Elliptic has attributed this incident to North Korea’s Lazarus Group, which is believed to have stolen over $2 billion in cryptoassets across multiple thefts,” Elliptic said. “This would mark the first major crypto theft publicly attributed to Lazarus Group since the $100 million exploit of Horizon Bridge in June 2022.” 
The threat actor Lazarus Group reportedly primarily <a href="https://www.cfr.org/cyber-operations/lazarus-group" target="_blank" rel="noopener">targets</a> South Korean entities for espionage purposes but has also targeted cryptocurrency exchanges, with a total of an estimated $2 billion in stolen crypto assets. It’s believed the group was also behind the 2014 Sony hack in response to the release of the movie “The Interview,” a comedy in which characters played by Seth Rogen and James Franco go to North Korea to interview Kim Jong Un. 
The Estonian National Criminal Police, where Atomic Wallet is located, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/estonian-police-investigate-crypto-hack-blamed-north-korea-2023-06-14/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Reuters that authorities have been investigating the theft for the past week but said: &#8220;at the moment we cannot comment on the origins of the attacks.&#8221;
The U.S. Department of Justice <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/north-korean-regime-backed-programmer-charged-conspiracy-conduct-multiple-cyber-attacks-and">refers</a> to Lazarus as a North Korean government-sponsored hacking team. According to the Elliptic analysis, the group has stolen more than $2 billion across multiple crypto heists. The group’s last major theft involved Horizon Bridge, where it allegedly stole $100 million of virtual funds a year ago, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-announces-north-korea-associated-hackers-responsible-for-100-million-virtual-robbery" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the FBI. 
The United Nations released a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/record-breaking-2022-north-korea-crypto-theft-un-report-2023-02-06/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> in February that showed North Korea had a record-breaking year for stealing crypto assets in 2022, where hackers reportedly stole upwards of $630 million. According to Reuters, international monitors believe these funds are often used to fund the country’s nuclear and ballistic weapons efforts. 
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&#8220;(North Korea) used increasingly sophisticated cyber techniques both to gain access to digital networks involved in cyber finance, and to steal information of potential value, including to its weapons programmes,&#8221; sanctions monitors told the United Nations Security Council. 
Last month, a White House official said that roughly half of North Korea’s missile program is funded through cyberattacks and crypto heists, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/06/tech/north-korea-crypto-heist/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.

North Korean Hacker

North Korean Hackers Suspected In $100M Crypto Heist That Could Fund Nuclear Program

North Korean Hackers Suspected In $100 Million Crypto Heist That Could Fund Nuclear Program

North Korea

Nuclear Weapons

Microsoft officials on Wednesday issued an advisory saying a Chinese hacking group compromised “critical” U.S. cyber infrastructure focused on gathering intelligence – and urged customers to close or change credentials for exposed accounts.
“Microsoft has uncovered stealthy and targeted malicious activity focused on post-compromise credential access and network system discovery aimed at critical infrastructure organizations in the United States,” the company said in a <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2023/05/24/volt-typhoon-targets-us-critical-infrastructure-with-living-off-the-land-techniques/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blog post</a>.
According to Microsoft, the Chinese state-sponsored hacking group Volt Typhoon, which typically focuses its efforts on espionage, allegedly compromised U.S. national cyber infrastructure across numerous industries to disrupt “critical communications infrastructure between the United States and Asia” to obstruct efforts during “future crises.”
Such industries in the ongoing attack include communications, manufacturing, utility, transportation, construction, maritime, government, information technology, and education sectors.
“The threat actor intends to perform espionage and maintain access without being detected for as long as possible” rather than creating an immediate disruption.
Volt Typhoon infiltrates organizations by identifying unknown vulnerabilities in a cybersecurity suite called Fortiguard, according to Microsoft. After the group gains access to a system, the hackers steal user credentials and then try to gain access to other corporate systems.
The National Security Agency detailed how threat actors use techniques called living off the land to avoid detection, which uses primary tactics, techniques, and procedures from built-in network administration tools to perform their objectives. The agency further instructed cybersecurity teams on how they should respond to the hack in the <a href="https://media.defense.gov/2023/May/24/2003229517/-1/-1/0/CSA_Living_off_the_Land.PDF" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bulletin</a> on Wednesday.
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency officials warned in a joint <a href="https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/us-and-international-partners-release-advisory-warning-prc-state-sponsored-cyber-activity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> with international and domestic intelligence services that China poses a risk to American intellectual property.
“For years, China has conducted aggressive cyber operations to steal intellectual property and sensitive data from organizations around the globe,” CISA director Jen Easterly said in a statement.
American intelligence agencies and Microsoft detected the Chinese hacking group had installed a mysterious computer code in telecommunications systems in Guam and other parts of the U.S. in February, around the time military authorities shot down a Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina, according to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/24/us/politics/china-guam-malware-cyber-microsoft.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>.
U.S. companies with classified information have been targeted by Chinese government-backed hackers, CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/01/covington-burling-was-hacked-sec-is-now-suing-the-dc-law-firm.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Suspected Chinese state-sponsored hackers compromised Covington and Burling law firm in 2020.

Daily Life And Economy In Hungary

Microsoft Says Chinese Government-Backed Hackers Compromised ‘Critical’ U.S. Cyber Infrastructure

Microsoft Says Chinese Government-Backed Hackers Compromised 'Critical' U.S. Cyber Infrastructure

U.S.

Daily Wire host <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/matt-walsh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Matt Walsh</a> broke his silence Wednesday after a hacker gained access to his Twitter account, disclosing that the hack was more comprehensive than people thought.
Many of Walsh’s followers noticed something was awry when his Twitter account started posting uncharacteristic messages. Although he has since regained access, Walsh said that his phone and private online files were also infiltrated by a stranger.
“My entire life laid bare,” Walsh said. “As expected, the Left and many in the media were eagerly cheering on this series of felonies that were committed against me and my family. Reporters took to Twitter to openly solicit the hacker to send the reporters stolen information from my phone, so they could use it to try to embarrass me. Prominent leftists and trans activists gloated, declaring that a criminal infringement on my privacy and safety is okay in this case, because they don’t like me.”
Walsh, speaking on the topic of transgenderism at the University of Iowa, also said that an “insider” helped the outsider gain access to Walsh’s information by switching Walsh’s phone number over to a sim card controlled by the hacker. But the Daily Wire firebrand had a message to those who took the hack as an opportunity to try and solicit his private information: “lawyer up.”
“What was motivating the insider to distribute my personal data to a hacker?” Walsh asked. “We can make some educated guesses, but we don’t know at this point. There is still a lot we don’t know about what happened — who did it? How? Why? But I’ll tell you, we are going to get answers to all of those questions. We’re getting them right now — and there are going to be consequences. … That includes the journalists who solicited stolen information from my phone.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattWalshBlog</a> on being hacked:
&quot;They&#39;re going to be severe consequences&#8230; that includes the journalists who solicited stolen information from my phone. I hope you can afford more expensive lawyers than I can because&#8230;lawyer up.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/t2L43OhUcx">pic.twitter.com/t2L43OhUcx</a>
&mdash; Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1648849592815943680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Hours before his speech at Iowa, Wired <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/matt-walsh-twitter-hack-doomed/">published</a> an interview with someone purporting to be the person who accessed Walsh’s personal information. The hacker, identified as “Doomed,” told the outlet that he just wanted to stir up controversy and chaos on Twitter, and was “bored.”
Walsh also revealed that he and his family have been subjected to recent threats from radical leftists and trans activists. The conservative commentator said that one trans activist threatened online that he would kill Walsh, but when Walsh reported it to the local district attorney, the threat was dismissed as “harmless trolling.”
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“We have been doxxed so many times I’ve basically lost count at this point. We have been threatened by message, by email, by snail mail to our house. People have shown up to our house. We’ve been blackmailed,” Walsh said. “It got to the point where we need 24-hour armed security in our house. … Security is our only option because the system has no interest in prosecuting these people.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MattWalshBlog</a> to the woke Left:
&quot;I have never been more motivated to oppose you&#8230;I truly see the fight against gender ideology as the last stand for western civilization. If the sane side loses this, it’s over. It&#39;s over after this&#8230;I’m staying put.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/N8TWen1oIO">pic.twitter.com/N8TWen1oIO</a>
&mdash; Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1648861967711444992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Matt Walsh

Matt Walsh Breaks Silence After Major Hack, Says An ‘Insider’ Was Involved

Matt Walsh Breaks Silence After Twitter Hack

Leftism

Twitter

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fbi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">FBI</a> warned that public charging stations with USB ports could download <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cybersecurity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">malware</a> onto the devices of unsuspecting users.
Malicious actors can use USB ports, which are often available at locations such as airports and public transit for travelers running low on charge, as mechanisms to add malware to unsuspecting users’ phones or computers, thereby permitting criminals access to passwords or transactions.
“Avoid using free charging stations in airports, hotels or shopping centers,” the FBI’s field office in Denver <a href="https://twitter.com/FBIDenver/status/1643947117650538498?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1643947117650538498%7Ctwgr%5E7face632c5dfd8c4d751f23bc41dbe77747a42fe%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnbc.com%2F2023%2F04%2F10%2Ffbi-says-you-shouldnt-use-public-phone-charging-stations.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">warned</a> on social media last week. “Bad actors have figured out ways to use public USB ports to introduce malware and monitoring software onto devices. Carry your own charger and USB cord and use an electrical outlet instead.”
Government officials have been cautioning against public chargers for several years. The Federal Communications Commission previously <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/juice-jacking-dangers-public-usb-charging-stations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that “juice jacking” can occur through USB ports; software used by the criminals can then “lock a device or export personal data and passwords directly to the perpetrator,” using the information to “access online accounts or sell it to other bad actors.”
Fraudsters have been known to pass out infected cables as promotional gifts or leave their cables plugged into USB outlets. The Federal Communications Commission <a href="https://www.fcc.gov/juice-jacking-dangers-public-usb-charging-stations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recommends</a> that travelers use AC power outlets, avoid USB outlets, and bring their own charging cables or external batteries with them. Charging-only cables, which do not permit data to be transferred, can also be obtained through trusted suppliers.
Analysts from the Institute of Technical Education and Research in India likewise concluded in a <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/2/939#sec7-sustainability-14-00939" target="_blank" rel="noopener">paper</a> that the use of an external power bank is “the best approach to avoid juice jacking attacks.” Security Research Labs said on one <a href="https://www.srlabs.de/blog-post/usb-peripherals-turn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a> that benign devices can possibly “turn malicious” from a juice jacking and infect other USB devices.
“No effective defenses from USB attacks are known. Malware scanners cannot access the firmware running on USB devices,” the cybersecurity consulting firm remarked. “Behavioral detection is difficult since behavior of an infected device may look as though a user has simply plugged in a new device. Blocking or allowing specific USB device classes and device IDs is possible, however generic lists can easily be bypassed.”
The practice of juice jacking, on the other hand, does not appear to be particularly prevalent despite the warnings from multiple agencies. When the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office published an advisory about the threat in 2019, a <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2019/11/15/los-angeles-juice-jacking-usb/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from TechCrunch confirmed that the officials had seen “no cases” of juice jacking. It said the alert was part of “an ongoing fraud education campaign.” Experts told the outlet that the threat was largely theoretical at the time.
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Malware meant to assist criminals with accessing users’ personal accounts has been <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/devastating-malware-for-hacking-banking-accounts-may-be-linked-to-hamas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">used</a> by terrorist groups such as Hamas, which was able to infect computers through Microsoft Office documents last year. The software permitted the anti-Israel fundamentalist Islamic group to collect GPS coordinates, monitor keystrokes, activate hidden cameras, and steal data from files.
Governments across the world have been increasing cyberspace capabilities in recent years to protect domestic businesses and conventional military operations. The United States Cyber Command, also known as CYBERCOM, was upgraded to a full and independent unified combatant command in 2017.

One senior FBI agent with protective mask in the office

FBI Warns Public Charging Stations Can Now Download Malware Onto Your Phone

FBI Warns Charging Stations Can Download Malware Onto Your Phone

The federal government&#8217;s central technology arm jeopardized nearly one million online accounts by rejecting facial recognition technology when it was required for the high-security accounts, then cited “equity” to justify years of lying about its compliance with federal rules, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a> has learned.
The General Services Administration’s (GSA) technology group was tasked with creating Login.gov, a service that federal agencies would use to create accounts permitting access to government websites detailing personal or sensitive information. The service was required to follow rules set by the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST), and included offering a hacker- and impersonator-resistant option for agencies dealing with the most sensitive data, which must conform to a NIST standard called Identity Assurance Level 2 (IAL2).
GSA earned $187 million off the service after telling a government funding board that its solution met NIST’s exacting standards, and $10 million more from agencies who purchased the highest-security solution from GSA on the basis of its representations.
But GSA knew that its system was anything but compliant with IAL2, because it disregarded one of its most important security features: Using biometrics such as facial recognition, eye scans, or fingerprints to prove those seeking access to sensitive data were who they claimed to be. Officials opted to simply ignore that category because they said facial recognition technology might discriminate based on skin color, the <a href="https://www.oversight.gov/sites/default/files/oig-reports/GSA/GSA-Misled-Customers-Logingovs-Compliance-Digital-Identity-Standards-JE23-003Redacted.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">GSA Inspector General found</a> in a new audit.
“Put simply, Login.gov opted to ignore the standards and instead focused on selling Login.gov to customers without regard to NIST requirements,” the IG wrote. The audit said GSA “misled their customer agencies” and “knowingly billed” them for a product they were not receiving.
In response to IG, GSA acknowledged wrongdoing.
“Given that employees misled customer agencies about Login.gov&#8217;s compliance with NIST standards,&#8221; the director of Login.gov was reassigned, employee misconduct actions had been opened, and a “top-to-bottom review” of Login.gov had been ordered, officials said.
The audit found that top officials ignored insiders who pointed out that a product whose sole aim was cybersecurity was not actually secure, and that once they were caught, they misled agencies into believing they were withdrawing the webcam security feature because of new policy on “equity.” In reality, it had been out of compliance the whole time, with GSA having tricked agencies into using insecure software for years—sending federal agency officials tasked with online security into a tailspin when they learned the truth.
“As of May 2022, Login.gov had 906,187 users of Login.gov services that GSA purported to be IAL2 but did not comply,” the IG said. “Notwithstanding GSA officials’ assertions that Login.gov met [the] requirements, Login.gov has never included a physical or biometric comparison in production. Login.gov officials informed us that biometric comparison was not included in products offered to customer agencies, initially because the feature required testing before implementation and later because they further delayed it due to equity concerns.&#8221;
At multiple points, senior leaders with GSA’s Technology Transformation Services (TTS), the division under the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) in charge of the project, &#8220;learned that Login.gov did not comply with IAL2 requirements. They did not, however, notify customer agencies of the noncompliance. The inability to meet IAL2 NIST standards became the topic of discussions among Login.gov leaders and personnel at least as early as 2019, and included concerns that using individuals’ selfies to verify their identity could impact Login.gov’s rejection rates based on physical traits, such as skin color and tone,” it said.
&#8220;GSA misled the Technology Modernization Board in securing funding for Login.gov,&#8221; the IG wrote in September 2021.
GSA secured $187 million in federal funding after TTS Director/FAS Deputy Commissioner Vladlen “Dave” Zvenyach, then-GSA Chief Financial Officer Gerard Badorrek, and GSA Chief Information Officer David Shive attested that &#8220;Login.gov is currently used in production and complies with NIST’s 800-63-3 standard for strong authentication (AAL2) and identity verification (IAL2).&#8221;
Back in 2019, the GSA touted its “selfie” feature in marketing materials, stated in an “Agency Authorization to Operate” that the system “can support user validation at Identity Assurance Level 1 or 2 (IAL1 or IAL2),” and authorized agencies who were required to use IAL2 authentication to use Login.gov, even though a former Login.gov Product Manager told the IG “that the team knew that Login.gov did not comply with NIST 800-63-3 [another name for IAL2] as early as 2018.&#8221;
By January 2020, a senior advisor went to the top to sound the alarm about noncompliance, telling then-GSA Assistant Commissioner Dominic Sale and others. Sale &#8220;told him that because he was not the Director of Login.gov, it was not the Senior Advisor’s role to pursue the issue,&#8221; the IG found. In August 2020, a consultant flagged the same issue for a TTS employee, but the employee did not do anything about it because &#8220;he believed that everyone knew that Login.gov was not compliant.&#8221;
Zvenyach was put in charge of TTS in January 2021, and his boss, FAS Commissioner Sonny Hashmi, told the IG that &#8220;Zvenyach told him clearly that Login.gov met the IAL2 standards, and they were signing interagency agreements that stated they met the standard.&#8221;
Yet internal records showed that by June 24, 2021, not only was it not compliant, but Zvenyach had disavowed taking any steps that could get it into compliance. “The position of TTS is that the benefits of liveness/selfie does not outweigh any discriminatory impact, and therefore should not be used as a proofing requirement,” he wrote to staff in a Slack message.
The IG noted that there was no formal &#8220;documented justification&#8221; of this, &#8220;Zvenyach did not notify customer agencies when TTS suspended efforts to implement selfies to meet the NIST biometric comparison requirement,” and GSA “continued to withhold information from customer agencies about Login.gov’s lack of biometric comparison capabilities.”
The jig was up in January 2022, when a federal agency asked point-blank how the login system could possibly be compliant when it didn&#8217;t use webcams, fingerprints, or eye scanners. On January 20, 2022, the GSA released an &#8220;Equity Action Plan&#8221; that it said was required by the Biden administration, and days later, the GSA relied on the new policy to say that it would not meet NIST standards with Login.gov.
“On February 3, 2022, seven months after Zvenyach’s June 2021 internal announcement, GSA finally notified customer agencies that the IAL2 service included in their interagency agreements, for which they were paying, did not comply with NIST requirements,” the IG wrote. It told them with a statement that cited the days-old equity policy and &#8220;linked the lack of a biometric comparison feature to equity concerns. It omitted any mention of the duration and nature of Login.gov’s noncompliance with NIST’s IAL2 requirements.”
Federal security officials were shocked that they could no longer count on a secure login. &#8220;I reiterate how frustrating this is,&#8221; one wrote. &#8220;We have been promoting the use of IAL2 solutions pretty heavily,&#8221; another wrote. “Having a clear understanding of this is critical.”
&#8220;This is quite an issue. &#8230; You are now stating that IAL2 is no longer available as of today?” a third wrote. But the truth was worse&#8211;contrary to the message that misleadingly blamed a new equity policy, the agencies had unknowingly been out of compliance the whole time.
Agencies who relied on secure logins from GSA told the IG that &#8220;Login.gov’s noncompliance with the IAL2 standard created a greater risk of fraud for the customer agency,&#8221; &#8220;had an impact on the credibility of their program,&#8221; and could create liability because &#8220;the customer agency would be held responsible for allowing access to individuals at the wrong level.&#8221;
The IG said that after learning of TTS&#8217; equity-justified misrepresentations, GSA &#8220;reviewed the agreements for other misrepresentations,&#8221; and found that its authentication system was also not in compliance.
GSA Deputy Administrator Katy Kale notified the Technology Modernization Board that its proposal made statements “that could be interpreted to say Login.gov’s service meets NIST guidelines.” The IG slammed Kale for attempting to soften it, noting that “in fact,” GSA explicitly stated that it did verbatim.
“On August 16, 2022, the GSA Administrator announced the Zvenyach’s departure from GSA,” the IG said.
This is the first installment in a series.
Part 2: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-tech-arm-had-pattern-of-gross-mismanagement-before-equity-induced-cybersecurity-fiasco" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Federal Tech Arm Had Pattern Of ‘Gross Mismanagement’ Before ‘Equity’-Induced Cybersecurity Fiasco</a>
Part 3: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-agency-focused-on-leftist-politics-and-pronouns-as-gross-mismanagement-put-cybersecurity-at-risk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Federal Agency Focused On Leftist Politics And Pronouns As ‘Gross Mismanagement’ Put Cybersecurity At Risk</a>
Part 4: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chat-records-reveal-epic-meltdown-in-federal-agency-after-trump-win" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chat Records Reveal Epic Meltdown In Federal Agency After Trump Win</a>

General Services Administration

Feds Jeopardized Security Of 1M Americans’ Online Accounts, Citing ‘Equity’

Feds Jeopardized Security Of 1M Americans' Online Accounts, Citing 'Equity' 

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

Equity

Facial Recognition

Inspector general

A Russian group of hackers <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11833591/Russian-hackers-post-NAKED-photos-Pennsylvania-cancer-patients-hospital-refused-ransom.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stole information</a> from a Pennsylvania health network and then published naked photos of cancer patients online when the hospital refused to pay a ransom.
Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN), comprised of 13 hospitals and 28 healthcare centers, was attacked by a group called ALPHV, nicknamed BlackCat.
“We have been in your network for a long time and have had time to study your business,” the hackers threatened on March 4. “In addition, we have stolen your confidential data and are ready to publish it. We have the data of your client base of patients, namely their passports, personal data, questionnaires, nude photos and the like. Our blog is followed by a lot of world media, the case will be widely publicized and will cause significant damage to your business.”
“Your time is running out. We are ready to unleash our full power on you!” they concluded.
After the health network refused to pay the ransom, three screenshots of cancer patients receiving radiation oncology treatment were published on the dark web, along with seven documents containing patient information, <a href="https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/business/2023/03/gang-leaks-lehigh-valley-health-network-cancer-patient-photos-as-part-of-data-hack.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lehigh Valley Live</a> reported.
“This unconscionable criminal act takes advantage of patients receiving cancer treatment, and LVHN condemns this despicable behavior,” the network stated.
In mid-February, Dr. Brian Nester, president and CEO of Lehigh Valley Health Network, released a <a href="https://6abc.com/lehigh-valley-health-network-cyberattack-hospitals-ransomware-russia-hackers/12852619/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>, saying, “Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) has been the target of a cybersecurity attack by a ransomware gang, known as BlackCat, which has been associated with Russia. As of today, the attack has not disrupted LVHN&#8217;s operations. Based on our initial analysis, the attack was on the network supporting one physician practice located in Lackawanna County. We take this very seriously and protecting the data security and privacy of our patients, physicians and staff is critical.”
“This group, in particular, is unusual to some extent. They will go after hospitals because this is where the money is. And they will go after US hospitals because this is where a lot of money is, and they&#8217;ve been successful in the past,&#8221; Dr. Pablo Molina, the chief information security officer for Drexel University, <a href="https://6abc.com/lehigh-valley-health-network-cyberattack-dark-web-stolen-documents/12926619/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
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LVHN asserted it is still investigating, acknowledging the attack centered on Delta Medix IT system but had limited impact on other IT systems. “We will provide notices as required to those whose information was involved,” they stated.
Lehigh Valley Health Network&#8217;s <a href="https://www.lvhn.org/about-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">history</a> began with 13 local women who raised $5,300 for a plot of land in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and opened The Allentown Hospital in 1899. Over 50 years later, a group of Lutheran clergy purchased a 102-acre field in Bethlehem, and in 1961, the Muhlenberg Hospital Center opened.
In the late 1960s, Dorothy Pool, the wife of Leonard Parker Pool, had to travel to New York City for cancer treatment. That prompted Leonard Pool to donate $5 million to help the construction of the flagship hospital of the network: Lehigh Valley Hospital–Cedar Crest in Salisbury Township, Pennsylvania. That hospital contains the John and Dorothy Morgan Cancer Center, which was selected as the second member of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Alliance in 2015.
The network features Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, the only children’s hospital in the Lehigh Valley.

Mobile Mammography Van  The Lehigh Valley Cancer Institute 3D Mobile Mammography van is parked Wednesday at the Lehigh Valley Health Network’s Hamburg office. Photo by Bill Uhrich  3/13/2019

Nude Photos Of Pennsylvania Cancer Patients Published By Russian Hackers After Health Network Won’t Pay Ransom

Cancer

Health

Pennsylvania

Russia

On Monday, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/fbi-says-n-korea-related-hacker-groups-behind-us-crypto-firm-heist-2023-01-24/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that a North Korea-associated hacking group had carried out a robbery of $100 million in cryptocurrency last year.
Harmony’s Horizon <a href="https://coinmarketcap.com/alexandria/article/funds-stolen-in-horizon-bridge-hack-are-laundered-through-tornado-cash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bridge</a> <a href="https://cointelegraph.com/news/breaking-harmony-one-s-horizon-bridge-hacked-for-100m" target="_blank" rel="noopener">operates</a> cryptocurrency movements between Harmony and other systems. On June 24, 2022, Harmony’s bridge was hacked and $100 million of virtual funds were taken.
The FBI stated that hackers called the Lazarus Group, also identifiable as APT28, which are connected with North Korea, stole the cryptocurrency.
In a press release, the FBI <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/fbi-confirms-lazarus-group-apt38-cyber-actors-responsible-for-harmonys-horizon-bridge-currency-theft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">explained</a> that earlier this month, on Friday, January 13, North Korean hackers utilized RAILGUN, which is a privacy tool, in order to launder ethereum taken last year. The amount laundered came to a worth of more than $60 million.
Some of the money was then delivered to multiple providers and changed into bitcoin, after which some of it was frozen through an effort with the providers. 
The FBI noted that some of its offices, working with other groups, are still finding and interrupting North Korea’s acts of stealing and money laundering of cryptocurrency. It said the criminal actions are utilized in order to prop up North Korea’s Weapons of Mass Destruction and ballistic missile projects.
The FBI added that in the past it published a Cybersecurity Advisory with the Cybersecurtiy and Infrastructure Security Agency, as well as the U.S. Treasury Department. The advisory discussed “TraderTraitor,” a malware effort that was used by North Korea to attack Harmony. 
In June, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/nkorea-may-be-behind-new-100-mln-cryptocurrency-hack-experts-say-2022-06-30/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that hackers from North Korea were probably responsible for the major hack, according to three digital investigative groups. <a href="https://www.elliptic.co/solutions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elliptic</a>, a crypto analysis group, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/nkorea-may-be-behind-new-100-mln-cryptocurrency-hack-experts-say-2022-06-30/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">speculated</a> in a report at the time of the cyber attack that Lazarus was responsible. 
“The thief is attempting to break the transaction trail back to the original theft,&#8221; the report said. &#8220;This makes it easier to cash out the funds at an exchange.&#8221;
Last <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/3828420-fbi-accuses-north-korean-hackers-for-100m-crypto-theft/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">year</a>, Anne Neuberger, Deputy National Security Advisor for Cyber and Emerging Technology on the National Security Council, <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/technology/3590126-north-koreas-increasing-use-of-crypto-heists-to-fund-nukes-worries-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> she was “concerned about North Korea’s cyber capabilities.”
“They use cyber to gain, we estimate, up to a third of [stolen crypto] [sic] funds to fund their missile program,” she noted.
A few months <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/3584512-hackers-stole-nearly-200-million-from-us-crypto-firm/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">following</a> the Harmony attack, <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/3828420-fbi-accuses-north-korean-hackers-for-100m-crypto-theft/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nomad</a>, another crypto group, reportedly had cryptocurrency — in the amount of $190 million — taken in multiple incidents. 
The Treasury Department <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/15/ronin-hack-north-korea-linked-to-615-million-crypto-heist-us-says.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">took</a> <a href="https://home.treasury.gov/policy-issues/financial-sanctions/recent-actions/20220414" target="_blank" rel="noopener">action</a> last year to place fresh sanctions on a wallet of the Lazarus Group. Crypto analysts reportedly said that the wallet had resources connected to an attack where cryptocurrency was taken in the amount of over $600 million.

Juche Tower and Workers’ Party monument in Pyongyang, North Korea

FBI Announces North Korea-Associated Hackers Responsible For $100 Million Virtual Robbery

Cryptocurrency

Global Politics

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