9. North Korea’s CIA: Inside Kim’s Crime Family (Ep 1)
whatshot 95 snips
Jan 1, 2025
A riveting exploration of North Korea’s hidden cybercrime world reveals how state-sponsored hackers executed the largest bank heist ever. The chilling connection between espionage and organized crime is laid bare, demonstrating the lavish lifestyles of the regime compared to the poverty of its citizens. Intriguing tales of assassinations, including Kim Jong-un's half-brother, illustrate the extreme lengths taken by North Korean operatives. As cybercrime becomes a lifeline for the regime, the paradox of survival and success in a repressive system unfolds.
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Phishing Attack
North Korean cyber operatives sent a phishing email to Bangladesh Bank employees.
This email was the starting point of the biggest cyber heist attempt in history.
insights INSIGHT
Espionage as Organized Crime
North Korean intelligence agencies operate like organized crime syndicates.
Their focus is primarily on financial gain for the Kim regime, not traditional espionage.
question_answer ANECDOTE
The Shadowy Hacker
Park Jin-hyok is identified as one of the hackers.
North Korea denies his existence, highlighting the operation's secrecy.
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This book by Geoff White is a comprehensive and gripping account of the Lazarus Group, a secretive hacking collective alleged to be working on behalf of the North Korean state. It chronicles their decade-long campaign of cyber attacks, targeting central banks, cryptocurrency companies, film studios, and even health services. White's narrative takes readers through various global locations, from Hollywood to Dhaka, and exposes the intricate web of North Korea's cyber warfare, including their evolution from hacking Sony Pictures to multi-billion-dollar heists. The book emphasizes the broader implications of these cyber attacks on international relations and financial systems, and it serves as a cautionary tale about the vulnerabilities of our interconnected world[1][3][4].
How did a group of North Korean cyber criminals manage to pull off the biggest bank heist in history? Did Kim Jong Un really orchestrate the murder of his own brother? And what does it take to keep an authoritarian state afloat?
A seemingly innocuous spearfishing email lands in the inbox of an unsuspecting employee at the Central Bank of Bangladesh. Months of patient digital hacking follow, all masterminded by a team of cyber criminals within North Korea’s shadowy spy service. But how did they manage it? Listen as David and Gordon uncover how the North Korean state created one of the world’s most dangerous crime syndicates.
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