Electronic theft digital currencies from a record $3.8 billion last year, largely due to sanctions against North Korea that triggered the outbreak cyber attackswho are said to have originated from this country.

Meanwhile, as Bloomberg news agency reported in a related article, total cryptocurrency losses have risen from $3.3 billion in aggregate in 2021, according to Chainalysis, an analytics company for blockchain technology used in encryption.

North Korea appears to have “responded” to the sanctions imposed on it with cyberattacks.

Specifically, according to the company, hacker groups that U.S. officials link to the North Korean government stole about $1.7 billion in 2022, up from about $400 million in 2021.

According to US officials, North Korean hackers have focused on the cryptocurrency sector as a tool to generate income due to international sanctions. Investigators have found that the scammers have developed a range of tactics, from impersonating non-North Koreans in job interviews to creating malware to generate income. Ann Neuberger, US deputy national security adviser for cybersecurity and emerging technologies, said in July that the hacked money accounts for about a third of Pyongyang’s weapons development programs funding.

Last week, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation accused two North Korean cybercriminal groups of stealing $100 million in a heist last June from crypto services company Harmony Bridge. The Lazarus Group, a specialized hacking arm previously reported by the FBI to be linked to the North Korean General Intelligence Agency, also stole about $600 million last March from a blockchain network connected to the popular video game Axie Infinity. This was stated by American officials. Investigators later said they had recovered about $30 million stolen from the Axie Infinity heist, and the heist, Chainalysis reported in its investigation, was the first seizure of funds stolen by hackers with connections in North Korea. “While North Korea-related hackers are undeniably sophisticated and pose a serious threat to the cryptocurrency ecosystem, the ability of the relevant authorities and national security agencies to strike back is increasing,” Chainalysis said in a report. After resurrecting in the video game Axie Infinity, “we expect more of these stories in the coming years, thanks in large part to the transparency of the blockchain. When every transaction is recorded on a public ledger, it means law enforcement always has a trail to follow, even many years after the event, which is invaluable as investigative techniques improve over time,” she concluded. Chainalysis.