Australia has issued a bold crackdown against North Korean cybercrime syndicates, announcing sweeping sanctions on four entities, including the infamous Lazarus Group, for stealing at least A$1.9 billion ($1.23 billion) in cryptocurrency from companies around the world in 2024.
“The scale of North Korea’s involvement in malicious cyber-enabled activities, including cryptocurrency theft, fraudulent IT work and espionage, is deeply concerning,” the release read.
The lone hacker has already been sanctioned by South Korea and the United States. The Multilateral Sanctions Monitoring Team report notes that the stolen assets in 2024 account 50% more than in 2023. From January – September 2025, the DPRK stole at least $1.645 billion in crypto, already surpassing estimates of its 2024 total.
The Foreign Ministry has designated four hacking groups under the Reconnaissance General Bureau, North Korea’s intelligence agency – Lazarus Group, Kimsuky, Andariel and Chosun Expo. Besides, the sanctions list also includes an individual hacker, Park Jin-hyok of Chosun Expo.
