Money raised by North Korean cybercriminals is helping to fund the country’s nuclear program.

North Korean hacking groups notorious for rampant cybercrime are increasingly using artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT to carry out sophisticated scams. Financial Times reported. Hackers are targeting employees of global defense, cybersecurity and encryption companies on LinkedIn and other online platforms to leak sensitive information or gain access to computer networks or crypto wallets, the report said.

Money raised from North Korea’s cybercrime operations is helping to fund the country’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs, a United Nations panel of experts said.

Microsoft, OpenAI’s largest investor, also confirmed that hackers working on behalf of North Korea, China, Russia and Iran are using the company’s artificial intelligence services “to support malicious cyber activities.”

LinkedIn, in particular, has become a go-to platform for phishing scams, with many North Korean hackers posing as recruiters and conducting convincing interactions to fool their victims.

“North Korean hacking groups have been found to create credible-looking recruiter profiles on professional websites such as LinkedIn. Generative AI helps chat, send messages, create images and new identities – all as you develop a close relationship with your target. relationships,” said Erin Plante, vice president of research at blockchain data platform Chainaanalysis.

“The attacks have become very sophisticated – we’re not talking about a poorly worded email that says ‘click this link’. These are detailed profiles on LinkedIn and other social media platforms that they use to target people over weeks and build relationships within months,” Plant added.

South Korea has been closely monitoring North Korea’s activities, having previously discovered that North Korean hackers used generative artificial intelligence to target the country’s security officials.

Shreyas Reddy, an analyst at NK Pro, an information services company in Seoul, said ChatGPT is helping North Korea develop more sophisticated malware for penetrating victims’ computer networks.

Notably, Pyongyang has been involved in cyber projects since the 1980s and 1990s, when the ruling Kim dynasty began developing its then-nascent nuclear weapons program. Since then, the country has enhanced its cyber capabilities.