In the first half of this year, hacking incidents targeting cryptocurrency projects reached an unprecedented high. The total damage surpassed 1 billion USD, with North Korean-linked hackers playing a significant role in amplifying the overall losses.
A report released on July 29 by blockchain security firm Blockaid revealed that hacking damages to cryptocurrency projects exceeded 1 billion USD in the first six months of this year.
Blockaid emphasized that the number of confirmed hacking incidents in the first half of 2023 surpassed the total for all of 2022, marking the highest number of hacking incidents ever recorded in a six-month period.
The report identified North Korean-linked hackers as the primary culprits behind the most substantial damages. It attributed the 285 million USD Drift hack and the 292 million USD KelpDAO hack to North Korean organizations. Notably, there’s been an uptick in social engineering attacks targeting multi-signature signers through LinkedIn, a trend expected to persist in the near future.
Looking ahead to the second half of the year, Blockaid anticipates a rise in attacks exploiting artificial intelligence (AI). With the recent emergence of the first hacking incidents targeting AI agents, the proliferation of AI services could potentially lead to an increase in novel attacks utilizing techniques such as prompt injection and unauthorized signatures.