Sherrod DeGrippo, Greg Schloemer, and Matthew Kennedy discuss North Korean cyber operations, emphasizing their persistence, adaptability, and revenue generation through cryptocurrency theft. They explore the actions of the Lazarus group and its impact on North Korean cyber operations. The speakers also highlight Diamondsleet's software supply chain attack and the success of the Jade Sleet group in cryptocurrency thefts. They discuss North Korea's mindset of evolution, diverse techniques employed in cyber operations, and challenges of laundering stolen money. The speakers share their interests in cybersecurity and hope for regular updates on North Korea.
North Korea's cyber operations combine persistent threats, APT tactics, and cybercrime activities focused on revenue generation through cryptocurrency theft.
Defending against North Korean cyber threats requires a comprehensive security program that addresses software supply chain attacks, enhances awareness, and strengthens supplier-customer relationships.
Deep dives
North Korea's Unique Cyber Threat Landscape
North Korea's cyber operations stand out for their persistence, continually evolving threats, and the mix of APT and cybercrime activities. They focus on revenue generation through cryptocurrency theft and demonstrate a scrappy and persistent approach to cyber activities. The Lazarus group, in particular, gained attention for crossing boundaries with provocative actions like the Sony Pictures attack. North Korea's cyber operations have matured through incremental changes rather than revolution, enabling them to become a first-tier APT actor. Future campaigns are expected to continue exploiting trust relationships, targeting software supply chains, and leveraging a variety of techniques, such as exploitation of vulnerabilities and social engineering.
North Korea's Emphasis on Cryptocurrency Theft
North Korea's focus on revenue generation has led them to increasingly target cryptocurrency exchanges and engage in cryptocurrency theft. Their cyber operations aim to support the regime's strategic goals by abusing trust in the financial system. They have learned to steal billions of dollars through cybercrime, particularly in cryptocurrency theft, which allows them to evade international sanctions. North Korean threat actors leverage open source software, supply chain compromises, and trusted relationships to successfully carry out cryptocurrency theft. Tracking money laundering and disrupting their ability to cash out become crucial aspects of defending against their operations.
Defense Strategies Against North Korean Cyber Threats
Defending against North Korean cyber threats, especially in the case of software supply chain attacks, presents significant challenges. It requires a holistic security program that encompasses blog monitoring, endpoint solutions, and a range of cybersecurity tools and processes. Proactive mitigation efforts are crucial, such as deploying protections for customers as soon as supply chain attacks are uncovered. Increased awareness and providing context around North Korean cyber activities help defenders prepare for these threats. Additionally, resilient cybersecurity defenses, including robust processes and strong security measures, are necessary to defend against trust breaches in supplier-customer relationships.
The Fascinating World of North Korean Cyber Operations
Working on North Korean cyber operations provides unique opportunities for security researchers due to the lesser focus on this threat landscape. North Korean threat actors often employ novel and unheard-of techniques, making their activities intriguing to track. The persistent evolution of their operations and the ability to be among the first to uncover and understand their activities adds to the excitement. If the opportunity arose, some researchers would choose to explore the world of cybercrime due to its different challenges and the brilliant minds involved. Others would be interested in delving into the vast landscape of cyber threats posed by China and addressing the strategic challenges it presents.
On this week's episode of The Microsoft Threat Intelligence Podcast, Sherrod DeGrippo is joined by Greg Schloemer and Matthew Kennedy. Sherrod, Greg, and Matthew discuss North Korean cyber operations, highlighting the unique aspects that set North Korea apart, emphasizing North Korea's persistence, adaptability, and the blending of APT and cybercrime elements, mainly focusing on revenue generation through activities like cryptocurrency theft. The discussion touches on the notorious Lazarus group, known for the Sony Pictures attack and WannaCry, and how their actions captured global attention. Sherrod, Greg, and Matthew also share personal insight into why they're drawn to this particular area of cybersecurity, offering listeners a unique perspective on the motivations and passions driving those at the forefront of defending our digital world.
In this episode you’ll learn:
The evolution of North Korean cyber operations
How cryptocurrency theft is used as a means to support the state
North Korea's unique approach to cyber operations and strategic evolution over time
Some questions we ask:
How much work have you put into becoming a blockchain and cryptocurrency expert?
What challenges arise in defending against these specific software supply chain attacks?
Why are you interested in working on North Korea-related cybersecurity?
