Hackers from North Korea and Russia: these are their motives
In the Cracked by Jordens series, we look at the cyber security of consumers and companies in the Netherlands.
Published on March 27, 2025
Our DATA+ expert, Elcke Vels, explores AI, cyber security, and Dutch innovation. Her "What if..." column imagines bold scenarios beyond the norm.
The crypto app Bybit recently fell victim to a cyber attack in which approximately one and a half billion dollars' worth of crypto was stolen. The FBI recently confirmed that the attack was the work of a North Korean hacker group. In addition to North Korea, we are also increasingly hearing about attacks from countries such as Russia and China. What (political) motives are behind cyber attacks from these countries? And are companies and consumers actually sufficiently prepared for them? We asked cybersecurity expert Patrick Jordens.
Patrick Jordens
Patrick Jordens (1969) is an entrepreneur with a passion for digital security. He is the director of the Trusted Third Party and founder of the DMCC Group, which helps organizations comply with all external laws and regulations and internal policies in the field of privacy and consumer law. He is also a guest lecturer in marketing, data privacy and ethics at the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences.
Did the Korean crypto-attack come as a surprise, or could we have seen it coming?
"North Korea is severely affected by international sanctions, causing the regime to look for alternative ways to get money. Cybercrime, especially hacking crypto wallets, is one of the strategies they use to keep their heads above water. Cryptocurrencies are difficult to trace and offer the country a way to circumvent sanctions.”
Besides North Korea, we also hear a lot about Russian hackers. What does Russia hope to achieve with cyber attacks?
“Russia mainly uses cyber attacks as part of the power struggle on the world stage. While war often makes us think of tanks in the streets, countries like Russia have been waging a digital war with Europe for years. This is expressed, for example, in the spreading of disinformation during elections. Russian cyberattacks also play a crucial role in the war with Ukraine. One of Russia's first actions was to damage the vital infrastructure, including utilities.
Russian hackers have free reign. The Russian government takes no action when they attack Western parties. There are even stories going around that if you set your keyboard settings to Russian, you are less likely to be targeted by Russian hackers. Because if they hack Russian parties, then they have a problem.”
China is also often accused of cybercrime.
“China mainly uses cyber attacks for industrial espionage to maintain a technological edge over the West. The country also systematically trains hackers to carry out these activities. There are entire hacking programs for young talent. We must therefore be very vigilant and think carefully about how we store and share our digital information. For example, I recently spoke with a Dutch company that makes engines for horticulture. They had never realized that their intellectual property could become a target. After all, their technical drawings could fall into the hands of Chinese spies."
Is there another message you would like to share with the reader?
“All kinds of things are going on behind your screen, but you shouldn't let that scare you. Instead, you should think carefully about what could happen to you. Not out of fear of fines but because good entrepreneurship means looking ahead and taking measures. Don't wait until something goes wrong, but make sure your cybersecurity is in order.
That is why I am also very happy with new legislation such as NIS2, which imposes stricter cybersecurity requirements on essential organizations such as energy and water companies and government agencies.”