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How North Korean hackers launched history's biggest heist

Almost $1.5bn was stolen from crypto trading platform Bybit.

In February, hackers launched what is being considered the biggest heist of all time, when they stole almost $1.5bn from the cryptocurrency trading platform, Bybit. The record theft reportedly went down in just two minutes, and it set in motion a race against time to freeze some of the funds before the culprits could cash out. Soon, evidence began to point to Lazarus, an elite hacking group widely linked to the North Korean intelligence agency. So with analysis suggesting the country's malicious activity is on the rise, how are international governments fighting back, and are we more vulnerable to sophisticated cyber threats than ever before?

Lucy Hockings is joined by the 大象传媒's cyber correspondent, Joe Tidy. They examine how the hack was carried out, and consider what it means for the wider crypto landscape, as Donald Trump announces his plans for a US cryptocurrency reserve.

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Producers: Laurie Kalus and Eleanor Sly

Sound engineers: Dafydd Evans and Jonny Baker

Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: China Collins

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24 minutes

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