North Korea targeted IAEA in cyberattacks: draft U.N. report

Pyongyang said to have stolen $50m-plus in cryptocurrencies to fund arms development

20220207N IAEA HQ

International Atomic Energy Agency headquarters in Vienna. A security officer from the organization was targeted by a North Korean cyberattack, according to a new draft report. © Reuters

HIONA SHIRAIWA and KAORI YOSHIDA, Nikkei staff writers

UNITED NATIONS -- North Korea launched hacking attacks against the International Atomic Energy Agency as well as a key South Korean defense contractor, according to a draft United Nations report obtained by Nikkei on Monday.

Kimsuky, a hacking group backed by North Korean intelligence authorities, is described as capable of staging phishing attacks that mimic well-known websites and software applications to trick victims into entering their credentials. "In one of the cases the actor collected email addresses of not only government entities but also of those associated with a security officer at the IAEA," the report says.

Sponsored Content

About Sponsored ContentThis content was commissioned by Nikkei's Global Business Bureau.