Japan will enhance cybersecurity measures after hackers stole 48 billion yen ($306 million) from Japanese cryptocurrency exchange DMM Bitcoin, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said on Tuesday.
“We will continue to work closely with relevant agencies to enhance Japan’s cybersecurity capabilities,” Hayashi said at a news conference.
Japanese police hold the Lazarus hacker group responsible for stealing digital coins from Tokyo-based DMM Bitcoin in May. The exchange transferred client accounts to another company and announced that it would go out of business in March 2025.
A police investigation found that hackers sent a fake job offer to an employee of a company managing cryptocurrencies on behalf of DMM Bitcoin in March 2024. The employee opened the message, which caused their computer to be infected with malicious software, granting hackers access to the management system. The hacking group, which police believe is linked to North Korea, then falsified transaction amounts and account details to take control of the assets.
