Alleged North Korean hackers scouted crypto exchange employees before stealing currency, researchers say Pyongyang, North Korea (Pixabay) May 24, 2021 | CYBERSCOOP Suspected North Korean hackers have breached cryptocurrency exchanges in Japan, Europe, the U.S. and Israel in an effort to steal millions of dollars from the platforms in the last three years, according to a new private sector report. The analysis published Monday by the Israeli security firm ClearSky names Lazarus Group, which U.S. officials say works on behalf of the North Korean government, as the suspect in a hacking campaign that began with attackers scouting cryptocurrency exchange employees and ended with money leaving user accounts.