According to reports, the North Korean government is establishing a new hacking organization within its intelligence agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau (RGB). The media outlet Daily NK, which focuses on North Korean news, cited sources from within North Korea, stating that this new hacking unit, named the “227 Research Center,” will be dedicated to developing “offensive hacking technologies and programs.”
According to the source, the mission of the 227 Research Center includes three main directions: first, to study Western cybersecurity systems and computer networks in order to enhance North Korea’s ability to steal digital assets such as cryptocurrency; second, to develop artificial intelligence (AI)-based technologies for more efficient information theft; and finally, to be responsible for receiving and processing intelligence data returned from North Korean hacking units operating overseas.
In recent years, North Korean hackers have gained notoriety for launching attacks on global cryptocurrency exchanges and enterprises, such as the recent $1.4 billion attack on Bybit. The United States National Security Agency (NSA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have previously accused the Reconnaissance General Bureau of involvement in hacking attacks and espionage activities.
