CertiK Report: North Korean hackers caused approximately 60% of digital asset thefts by 2025, with attack patterns shifting to "offline infiltration."
Web3 security company CertiK has released the "Skynet North Korea Cyber Threat Report." The data shows that since 2016, North Korean hacker groups have plundered approximately $6.75 billion in digital assets. In 2025 alone, the losses from thefts they orchestrated reached as high as $2.06 billion, accounting for nearly 60% of the total losses in the global cryptocurrency industry for the entire year (including the $1.5 billion Bybit theft case). As of early 2026, this threat trend continues, with losses accounting for about 55%.The report emphasizes that the attack patterns of North Korean hackers have undergone a fundamental shift, evolving from simple code vulnerability exploitation to a national-level attack system that combines social engineering, deep supply chain attacks, and "physical infiltration." In the recent Drift protocol incident, attackers even spent six months lurking at offline industry conferences, establishing trust through real funds and interpersonal interactions before executing their attack.CertiK security experts warn that in the face of such systemic attacks, simple technical defenses have become weak. Cryptocurrency institutions urgently need to fully implement a "zero trust" hiring model, strengthen third-party supply chains, establish fund circuit breaker mechanisms, and collaborate with professional security organizations to build a comprehensive lifecycle defense system covering code audits, round-the-clock risk monitoring, and on-chain anti-money laundering/KYT (Know Your Transaction) fund tracking.
