North Korean Hacker Group WaterPlum Linked to Massive Cyberattack

A North Korean hacker group called WaterPlum has been linked to a massive cyberattack that affected over 100 countries, including Japan. According to a warning document released by seven organizations from four countries, WaterPlum infected more than 30,000 devices with malware between December last year and July this year.

The malware was disguised as technical assessments sent by corporate headhunters recruiting information technology professionals. The group stole credentials for around 7,000 cryptocurrency accounts, leading to the theft of approximately 1.7 billion yen worth of cryptocurrency.

WaterPlum's operations extended beyond cyberattacks, with North Korean IT workers living in North Korea, China, and Russia earning foreign currency by taking on remote programming jobs and other work under false identities.