North Korea's ambitious missile and nuclear weapons program has been a source of great concern for the international community. Recently, a White House official, Anne Neuberger revealed that about half of the funding for North Korea's weapons program comes from cyberattacks and cryptocurrency theft. The Biden administration is taking steps to address this issue and the US agencies such as the Treasury and the Justice Department are attempting to track the stolen funds.

The UN and several private firms have compiled evidence that North Korean hackers have stolen billions of dollars from banks and cryptocurrency companies. This has enabled the government to pay for their military programs, including their missile and nuclear weapons program. In July 2020, Neuberger estimated the cyber operations to have provided the nation with around one-third of their funding for these weapons. The updated figure she shared recently show that it may have increased since then.

CNN conducted an exclusive investigation that uncovered the organized schemes of North Korean hackers to steal cryptocurrency to convert it into real currency, which could possibly aid the funding of Kim Jong Un’s weapons programs. They identified one cryptocurrency entrepreneur that had unknowingly sent tens of thousands of dollars to a North Korean IT worker.

All these North Korean cyber activities are part of the intelligence briefings of the senior US officials, including the President Joe Biden. With such intensive effort and commitment, the Biden administration is sure to safeguard the safety and security of the international community by curbing the North Korean regime's access to financial resources that would be used for their war-mongering efforts.



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