North Korean Hacker Group Lazarus Targets Japanese Crypto Firms

The infamous North Korean hacker group Lazarus has attacked several Japanese crypto funds through phishing and social engineering, according to a joint-statement by local police and the Financial Services Agency of Japan.

A report by Japan News adds that some companies have had their internal systems hacked and some cryptocurrency has been stolen.

Phishing is a form of hack that involves a malware-infected link being sent to a victim, a virus will be installed on the targeted computer when the link is clicked. Lazarus is said to have been sharing these links via email and social media.

Lazarus Group is accused of behind the $625 million Ronin Bridge exploit, blockchain analytics firm Elliptic also traced the $100 million Horizon Bridge hack back to Lazarus in June.

The Japanese National Police Agency didn't reveal any of the companies involved or amounts stolen, but it did name the hacker group - something the agency rarely does before arrest, in order to prevent a potential hack from happening.