Hackers stole $1.7 billion in 2023, while North Korean hackers stole nearly $600 million worth of cryptocurrency

Globally, hackers stole $1.7 billion in 2023, more than half of the $4 billion stolen last year, and hackers linked to North Korea stole nearly $600 million in cryptocurrency, according to a study by TRM Labs that analyses the blockchain and cryptocurrency sector.

In an interview with Coin Desk, TRM Labs' head of legal and government affairs, Ari Redbord, attributed the decline in the number of specific money thefts to several factors. first, there were fewer major hacking attacks last year, law enforcement has also been successful in the past year, and cyber security oversight has improved.

Hackers linked to North Korea were involved in one-third of cryptocurrency malware distribution and theft last year, stealing a total of nearly $600 million worth of cryptocurrency. Over the past six years, hackers linked to the North Korean government have managed to steal nearly $3 billion.

However, government-affiliated hackers in this country stole about 30% less in 2023 than in 2022, when they stole about $850 million. Most of that money was obtained through the Ronin Bridge exploit.

In 2023, hackers stole most of the funds over the past few months. Back in August, TRM reported about the embezzlement of about 200 million dollars by hackers connected to North Korea, and by the end of the year, the amount of funds stolen by them reached 600 million dollars.

According to Radbord, North Korean hackers are attacking computer systems at an unprecedented rate, often using social engineering.