North Korea funds weapons program with stolen cryptocurrency, U.N. report claims

North Korea has been using cyberattacks on banks and cryptocurrency exchanges to steal an estimated $2 billion, a U.N. report claims. 

The confidential report, seen by Reuters, claims the heavily sanctioned country has been using the money to fund its weapons program, which includes building weapons of mass destruction. 

The report, which cites independent experts monitoring the situation, says North Korea has been launching “increasingly sophisticated attacks to steal funds from financial institutions and cryptocurrency exchanges to generate income,” as well as using cyberspace to launder the money. The experts are looking into at least 35 reported cyberattacks in 17 countries. 

North Korea did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment. The country’s leader Kim Jong Un