Seoul (AFP)

Foreign capitals have been alarmed by Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic programs for years.

But for some experts, the most immediate North Korean threat does not come from its missile heads but from its army of hackers capable of the biggest heists online.

The reclusive regime is facing multiple international sanctions for its banned military programs that have grown considerably under Kim Jong Un's decade of rule.

But as the international community rallies against the atomic ambitions of the North, Pyongyang has slowly but surely developed its skills in the cyberwar terrain.

"North Korea's nuclear and military programs are long-term threats, but its cyber threats are immediate and realistic threats," observes Oh Il-seok, a researcher at the Seoul Institute for National Security Strategy.

This nuisance capacity appeared spectacularly in 2014 when Pyongyang was accused of hacking Sony Pictures Entertainment in revenge for "The Interview That Kills," a satire mocking Mr. Kim.

Since then, the North Korean regime has been suspected of a number of large-scale cyber attacks, including the theft in 2016 of $ 81 million from the Central Bank of Bangladesh (BCB) or the WannaCry ransomware attack which had infected 300,000. computers in 150 countries in 2017.

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- "The wars of the future" -

Pyongyang has consistently rejected these accusations.

A spokesperson for the North Korean Foreign Ministry called them "absurd" at the end of 2017.

The Justice Department, however, indicted three North Koreans in February for a series of hacks.

Washington had estimated in its 2021 annual threat assessment report that Pyongyang "probably had the expertise to cause temporary and limited disruption to certain critical infrastructure networks" in the United States.

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This report from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence added that the North Korean cyber program posed "a growing threat with regard to espionage, thefts and attacks."

He accused Pyongyang of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars from financial institutions or cryptocurrency exchanges, "possibly to fund government priorities, like nuclear and ballistic programs."

North Korea's cyber program probably dates from the mid-1990s. "All the wars of the future will be computer wars," ex-leader Kim Jong Il was said to have predicted at the time.

- The brightest -

Today, the North Korean cyberwar unit, "Bureau 121", has 6,000 members who also operate from overseas, including Belarus, China, India, Malaysia or Russia, according to the report. a report from the U.S. military in 2020.

"They are extremely developed, dedicated and capable of carrying out sophisticated attacks," explains Scott Jarkoff, of the specialist firm CrowdStrike.

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Office 121 recruits are trained in different programming languages ​​and operating systems at dedicated institutions like Mirim University, explains former student Jang Se-yul, who defected in 2007.

It only accepts a hundred students each year who are chosen from among the brightest students in the country.

"We have been taught that we have to be ready to deal with US cyber warfare capabilities," Jang told AFP.

"We were told that we had to develop our own hacking programs because the best defense is to attack the enemy's operating system."

Developing this kind of cyber warfare program is particularly attractive to small countries like North Korea "which are overwhelmed in terms of equipment like airplanes, tanks and other modern weapon systems," says Martyn Williams of the Stimson Center. .

"All it takes to hack is a computer and an internet connection."

Most of the states' cyber programs are geared towards espionage activities.

And North Korea stands out in that it puts its cyber capabilities at the service of financial objectives.

- "Flying is more lucrative" -

Faced with the pandemic, Pyongyang has closed its borders, cutting off its economy, which is weighed down by sanctions, a little more from the world.

And she has been looking for foreign currency for years.

“Stealing is much faster, and potentially more lucrative, than trading, especially if you can count on talented hackers,” Williams continues.

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The three North Koreans indicted in February are accused of hacking to the detriment of companies and financial institutions, in particular targeting the cryptocurrency sector, in an attempt to steal around $ 1.3 billion in all.

"These North Korean agents, using computer keyboards rather than weapons, stealing computer wallets filled with cryptocurrency rather than bags filled with cash, are the number one bank robber in the world," commented Federal Attorney John Demers.

Decentralization of cryptocurrency networks allows the North to bypass international financial sanctions, according to Jarkoff.

"They allow North Korea to easily launder money and bring it home out of the control of the global banking system," he explains.

"Cryptocurrencies are attractive because they are uncontrolled, know no borders, and are relatively anonymous."

© 2021 AFP