Latest news with #NorthKorea-linked
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Industry leaders ask Trump to halt Biden-era 'lawless campaign'
Leaders from the crypto industry have urged President Donald Trump to discontinue the Department of Justice's (DOJ) "lawless campaign" from the Joe Biden era to criminalize developers who create open-source software. In particular, the group has urged the Trump administration to stop the prosecution of Tornado Cash co-founder Roman Storm by the Southern District of New York (SDNY). The DeFi Education Fund, a crypto advocacy group, has written a letter to the White House's crypto czar David Sacks, urging President Trump to "take immediate action" to halt Storm's prosecution. The SDNY charged Storm and Roman Semenov, both co-founders of the crypto mixer Tornado Cash, on Aug. 23, 2023, for allegedly conspiring to commit money laundering and violate sanctions by creating, operating, and promoting Tornado Cash. Earlier, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Tornado Cash on Aug. 8, 2022, alleging that the North Korea-linked notorious Lazarus hacking group had used it to launder stolen crypto assets worth $455 million. The mixer facilitated laundering of crypto assets worth over $7 billion, the OFAC claimed. Storm has decried the charges against him, saying that the "fatally flawed" indictment should be dismissed on several grounds, including for violating the First Amendment on free speech. He awaits his trial scheduled for mid-July. "This kind of legal environment does not just chill innovation — it freezes it; it empowers politically-motivated enforcement and puts every open-source developer at risk, regardless of industry," the DeFi Education Fund's letter read. Though the group praised Trump's pro-crypto steps, such as his executive order on the strategic Bitcoin reserve, it asked the president to stop the prosecution of developers; otherwise, his goal to "make America the crypto capital of the planet" can't be realized. By the time of writing this article, over 200 people have signed the letter. Coinbase co-founder Fred Ehrsam, Multicoin Capital Managing Partner Kyle Samani, Paradigm co-founder Matt Huang, Blockchain Association CEO Kristin Smith, and Strangelove founder Jack Zampolin are among the signatories.
Kyodo News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: May 15, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 1 hour ago - 09:00 | All, World, Japan The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Defense force trainer jet with 2 crew crashes in central Japan lake TOKYO - An Air Self-Defense Force training jet with two personnel aboard crashed into a large reservoir shortly after takeoff from a base near Nagoya, central Japan, the government said Wednesday. The ASDF said it is working to confirm the situation involving the T-4 jet, which disappeared from radar two minutes after departing Komaki Air Base, also in Aichi Prefecture, around 3:06 p.m. en route to a base in southwestern Japan. ---------- Japan inspects U.S. Tokyo base over suspected PFAS chemical leak TOKYO - The Japanese government on Wednesday conducted a second on-site inspection of the U.S. Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo over a possible leak of so-called PFAS chemicals, which may pose risks to human health. A similar action was carried out in December amid growing public concern after the United States reported a possible leakage of water containing PFAS from the firefighting training area following heavy rainfall in late August. ---------- Japan set to fully cover childbirth costs possibly from April 2026 TOKYO - Japan's health ministry is set to eliminate out-of-pocket payments associated with child delivery, possibly from April next year, to address the country's declining birthrate. One proposed approach in the policy approved Wednesday by a panel of experts involves fully covering expenses for normal deliveries under the public medical insurance system. ---------- North Korean hacker group conducting cyberattacks via Russia: report TOKYO - Some cyberattacks by a North Korea-linked hacker group targeting IT professionals worldwide were carried out from or via Russia's Far East, according to a recent report by a major internet security firm. The group's use of Russia's more developed internet infrastructure comes amid growing ties between the two countries following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Trend Micro Inc. noted. ---------- U.S., China slash most new tariffs following high-level talks WASHINGTON - The United States and China on Wednesday slashed most of their recent new tariffs on each other's imports and suspended part of the so-called reciprocal duties for 90 days, in line with a deal struck during high-level trade talks over the weekend in Switzerland. Because of what U.S. President Donald Trump called a "total reset" with China, his administration cut the tariffs it had imposed on the Asian economy under his second presidency to 30 percent from 145 percent. China, meanwhile, reduced its retaliatory tariffs on the United States to 10 percent from 125 percent. ---------- Japan sets 5-year goal of 1% annual real wage growth via investment TOKYO - The government on Wednesday set a five-year goal of achieving annual inflation-adjusted wage growth of 1 percent across Japan through 60 trillion yen ($408 billion) in public-private investment aimed at improving productivity. The plan mapped out by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's government focuses on small and medium-sized enterprises, which account for a large share of Japan's workforce, and comes as many consumers struggle with sharp price hikes that have outpaced pay increases. ---------- Sony expects net profit to fall 13% in FY 2025 on U.S. tariff impact TOKYO - Sony Group Corp. said Wednesday that its net profit in the year through next March is expected to fall 12.9 percent, hit by higher U.S. tariffs, after posting a record 1.14 trillion yen ($7.8 billion) for fiscal 2024 on the back of growth in its game and music segments. In the current fiscal year, net profit is projected to decline to 930 billion yen, with operating profit forecast to edge up 0.3 percent to 1.28 trillion yen, after factoring in a 100 billion yen hit attributed to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs. ---------- Bag with inflammable tube falls from U.S. forces chopper in Okinawa NAHA, Japan - A bag containing an inflammable signal flame tube fell from a U.S. military helicopter over the Motobu peninsula in northern Okinawa Prefecture in Japan on Tuesday, the local Defense Ministry bureau said. In Tokyo, Japan's top government spokesman said Wednesday that no damage has been reported following the incident. Video: Lilac flowers in Hokkaido
Int'l Business Times
08-05-2025
- Business
- Int'l Business Times
G7 Leaders Consider Discussing North Korea's Crypto Threat At Canada Summit: Report
Sources told Bloomberg that G7 leaders were considering if the matter was worth discussing at the summit Lazarus Group is at center of crypto thefts, as the latest data showed that the North Korea-linked hacking group holds over $800M in crypto The hackers are associated with the $1.4 billion and $230 million exploits of Bybit and WazirX, respectively Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries are reportedly weighing whether they should include North Korea-backed cyberattacks and cryptocurrency thefts during their much-anticipated summit in Canada next month. G7 leaders are increasingly aware of the "alarming" cyber activities of North Korea-linked hackers, and the matter may arise during the summit, Bloomberg reported Wednesday, citing sources familiar with plans around the summit. Digital assets in the spotlight ahead of G7 summit Leaders of the G7 nations, which consist of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Italy, France, Germany, and Japan, are heading to Alberta, Canada, in June to discuss various aspects of economy and geopolitical matters at a time when the world is fast-moving toward a digital financial era. Digital assets and cryptocurrencies are becoming major payment mediums, and with crypto exchange-traded funds (ETFs) driving institutional interest, hackers linked to the North Korean regime are also evolving to match the momentum. Data from onchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence shows that as of early Thursday, North Korea's Lazarus Group, a notorious hacking group linked to multiple cyberattacks and crypto thefts over the years, holds over $819 million worth of crypto assets, including a staggering 8,032 Bitcoin (worth approximately $799 million). In 2023, a White House official revealed that about half of North Korea's missile program has been funded by cyberattacks and crypto theft, raising serious concerns about the country's capabilities in deploying mass attacks. While the agenda of the June summit has not been finalized yet, at least two G7 nations -- U.S. and Japan -- have already moved to sanction cybersecurity attacks associated with North Korean hackers. Notably, President Donald Trump's re-entry into the White House has put crypto into the global spotlight as he vowed to make America the global crypto superpower. It is unclear if his administration will raise the matter around crypto theft threats during the summit. Lazarus Group deals massive losses to crypto industry Over the years, Lazarus Group has been held responsible by some crypto sleuths and researchers for some of the most devastating attacks in the industry. Most recently, in February, leading crypto exchange Bybit suffered a $1.4 billion exploit that marked the largest single heist in crypto and blockchain history. Prominent crypto sleuth ZachXBT pointed to Lazarus Group as the exchange's attacker, as confirmed by Arkham, which launched a bounty into the exploit. Likewise, ZachXBT said the $230 million exploit of Indian crypto exchange giant Wazir X "has the potential markings of a Lazarus Group attack (yet again)." The said exploit took place in mid-2024, resulting in millions of losses to WazirX users.
Time of India
01-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
US cracks down on North Korea-linked Cambodian firm behind $4 Billion romance scam ring
Representative Image (Denny generated AI Image) A North Korea-linked Cambodian organisation has fraudulently obtained billions of dollars from US citizens through romance scams and cyber theft since August 2021, according to federal authorities' Thursday announcement of enforcement measures. Huione Group , an online marketplace, has facilitated North Korean and other criminal organisations in defrauding people through social media messages and texts, promoting fraudulent investments and "pig butchering" schemes. These deceptions, occurring on dating and professional networking platforms, have targeted US pensioners and others, encouraging them to invest in cryptocurrency and other digital assets before ultimately defrauding them. From August 2021 to January 2025, Huione accumulated over $4 billion from romance and investment fraud, with its subsidiaries Huione Pay PLC, Huione Crypto, and Haowang Guarantee supporting various aspects of the operation. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like AI guru Andrew Ng recommends: Read These 5 Books And Turn Your Life Around in 2025 Blinkist: Andrew Ng's Reading List Undo The US Treasury's FinCEN revealed exclusively to The New York Post that $37 million supported North Korean cyber operations, while $336 million came from romance and investment schemes. The Treasury is proposing regulations to block the Cambodian company's access to US financial systems. "Huione Group has established itself as the marketplace of choice for malicious cyber actors like the DPRK [North Korea] and criminal syndicates, who have stolen billions of dollars from everyday Americans," said treasury secretary Scott Bessent in a statement. Beth Hyland, 53, shared her experience of falling victim to a Tinder fraudster in 2024, losing $26,000 through Bitcoin transactions. The scammer, operating from Nigeria, posed as a construction manager and manipulated her through false promises of marriage and shared life. Senator Marsha Blackburn and colleagues recently introduced legislation requiring dating platforms to alert users who have engaged with known scammers. The action against Huione was taken under Section 311 of the PATRIOT Act, as the group failed to maintain proper customer verification and anti-money laundering protocols, including overlooking direct transfers from North Korean scam operations.
Korea Herald
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Korea Herald
NK hackers sent over 120,000 malware-laced emails during martial law turmoil: police
North Korean hackers were found to be responsible for sending 126,266 emails to steal the personal information of online users in South Korea from November to January, according to the Korean National Police Agency, Tuesday. The KNPA's National Office of Investigation announced that a North Korean hacker group sent emails, titled 'Defense Counterintelligence Command's Martial Law Document,' on Dec. 11, eight days after former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration. While investigating the case, the police confirmed that the group's email hacking targeted 17,744 South Koreans, who were working in the fields of unification, diplomacy, national defense and security, for three months. Though the police did not release details about the hacker group's identity, including its name or link with North Korean agencies, Seoul officials said they confirmed the hackers' server was identical to one used in past North Korea-linked cases. Police added that they found a hacker group's attempt to collect information about North Korean defectors and South Korean military after investigating the servers. The content of the emails varied widely, ranging from the martial law-themed documents to North Korea's political outlook, invitations to concerts by popular artists and tax refund notifications. The emails impersonated the recipient's acquaintances by inserting additional spelling to the original IDs and changing parts of web addresses with visually similar letters, such as writing "rn' instead of "m." The hacking emails commonly consisted of a link, which, when clicked, would direct the users to a phishing site and request personal accounts to log in, according to the police. The officials announced that 120 people were hacked this way. While pledging utmost efforts for strict, speedy measures for any type of cyberattack and a cooperative system to respond to hacking attempts, the police asked online users to prevent damage by snubbing emails with an unidentified sender.
