Deepfakes and an elite hacker school: How cybercrime is growing as a source of income for North Korea

"Analysts agree that the structure of the hacker groups allegedly funded by Pyongyang is growing in complexity: specialized groups are being created for different types of cyberattacks, coordinating with each other. They also emphasize that their techniques are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Incidents linked to North Korea increased by 130% in 2025 compared to the previous year, according to a recent CrowdStrike report."

"Pyongyang's case is different: it uses its group of computer experts, known by the codename Lazarus, not so much for intelligence gathering as for making money. The Beloved and Respected Leader one of the official ways of referring to Kim Jong-un beckoned years ago to cybercrime as a source of income to help him survive international sanctions imposed on his country."

"Despite improved trade relations with Russia, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea needs additional revenue to finance its ambitious military plans, which include building new destroyers, manufacturing nuclear-powered submarines, and launching new reconnaissance satellites, states the CrowdStrike report."

North Korea has emerged as a significant cybercrime power, leveraging organized hacker groups to generate foreign currency due to international trade embargoes. The country's state-sponsored Lazarus Group operates with increasing sophistication, employing specialized teams coordinated for different types of cyberattacks. Incidents attributed to North Korea surged 130% in 2025, including the $1.46 billion Bybit cryptocurrency theft, the largest cyber heist recorded. Unlike other nations that sponsor hackers for intelligence gathering, North Korea prioritizes financial gain to fund military expansion, including destroyer construction, nuclear submarine manufacturing, and satellite launches. The hermetic state's cybercriminal infrastructure demonstrates growing complexity and technical advancement.

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