Security firm Mandiant revealed in a report that the North Korean hacking group APT43 supports the North Korean regime through espionage campaigns and cybercrime operations.

"APT43 is a prolific cyber operator that supports the interests of the North Korean regime. The groupcombines moderately-sophisticated technical capabilities with aggressive social engineering tactics,especially against South Korean and U.S.-based government organizations, academics, and think tanksfocused on Korean peninsula geopolitical issues." Mandiant wrote in the report.

"In addition to its espionage campaigns, we believe APT43 funds itself through cybercrime operations tosupport its primary mission of collecting strategic intelligence." the firm added.

According to Mandiant's report, APT43 resorts to phishing to steal user credentials by disguising themselves as online services like crypto exchanges and search engines. The group even developed a malicious app to target Chinese users seeking crypto loans.

Additionally, Mandiant's report reveals that APT43 employs cryptocurrency services to launder stolen funds. The hacking group also rents cloud mining services to acquire cryptocurrency that cannot be traced back to the original payment method.

Mandiant said APT43 has collaborated with other North Korean espionage operators on multiple operations, underscoring the major role APT43 plays in the regime’s cyber apparatus.

"APT43 maintains a high tempo of activity, is prolific in itsphishing and credential collection campaigns, and hasdemonstrated coordination with other elements of the NorthKorean cyber ecosystem." read the report.