Pencurian Cryptocurrency oleh Aktor Negara sebagai Strategi Hybrid Warfare
(Studi Kasus Kelompok Lazarus)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62383/komunikasi.v2i2.281Keywords:
Lazarus Group, North Korea, cryptocurrency theft, hybrid warfare, cybercrime, digital geopoliticsAbstract
This study analyzes state-sponsored cryptocurrency theft, focusing on the Lazarus Group affiliated with North Korea, within the framework of contemporary hybrid warfare strategy. Employing a qualitative case study approach, the article explains how systematic and large-scale crypto asset theft conducted by Lazarus Group serves not only financial motives but also functions as a strategic tool to evade international sanctions and fund North Korea’s nuclear programs. The research finds that such cybercrimes reflect high-ambiguity, non-conventional tactics key features of hybrid warfare. This study expands the traditional concept of hybrid warfare by incorporating digital financial crimes as instruments of state geopolitical strategy. It further highlights the importance of international collaboration and strengthened cybersecurity policy to address increasingly complex digital-era threats.
Downloads
References
Azizah, A. S. N., & Irfan. (2020). Fenomena cryptocurrency dalam perspektif hukum Islam. Shautuna: Jurnal Ilmiah Mahasiswa Perbandingan Mazhab, 1(1), 63.
Baxter, P., & Jack, S. (2008). Qualitative case study methodology: Study design and implementation for novice researchers. The Qualitative Report, 13(4), 544–559.
Borger, J. (2025, February 27). North Korea behind Bybit crypto exchange hack, FBI says. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/27/north-korea-bybit-crypto-exchange-hack-fbi
Chainalysis. (2025). The 2025 crypto crime report [Report]. https://www.chainalysis.com
Cointelegraph. (2025). How the Bybit hack happened. https://cointelegraph.com/learn/articles/how-the-bybit-hack-happened
Dougherty, J. (2018, January 26). The mouse clicks of August: Hybrid warfare, nation-state actors, and the future of cybersecurity. Small Wars Journal. https://archive.smallwarsjournal.com/index.php/jrnl/art/mouse-clicks-august-hybrid-warfare-nation-state-actors-and-future-cybersecurity
Elliptic. (2022, June 30). FBI confirms North Korea’s Lazarus Group as hackers behind $100 million Harmony Horizon Bridge theft. https://www.elliptic.co/blog/analysis/fbi-confirms-north-korea-s-lazarus-group-as-hackers-behind-100-million-harmony-horizon-bridge-theft
Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2022, April 14). FBI statement on attribution of malicious cyber activity posed by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea [Press release]. https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/fbi-statement-on-attribution-of-malicious-cyber-activity-posed-by-the-democratic-peoples-republic-of-korea
Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2023, January 23). FBI confirms Lazarus Group cyber actors responsible for Harmony’s Horizon Bridge currency theft [Press release]. https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/fbi-confirms-lazarus-group-cyber-actors-responsible-for-harmonys-horizon-bridge-currency-theft
Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2023, May 31). FBI, DC3, and NPA identification of North Korean cyber actors tracked as TraderTraitor responsible for theft of $308 million from bitcoin.dmm.com [Press release]. https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/fbi-dc3-and-npa-identification-of-north-korean-cyber-actors-tracked-as-tradertraitor-responsible-for-theft-of-308-million-from-bitcoindmmcom
Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2023, September 7). FBI identifies Lazarus Group cyber actors as responsible for theft of $41 million from Stake.com [Press release]. https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/fbi-identifies-lazarus-group-cyber-actors-as-responsible-for-theft-of-41-million-from-stakecom
Hybrid CoE. (2021). Cyber conflict in a hybrid threat environment: Death by a thousand cuts (Hybrid CoE Paper 10). https://www.hybridcoe.fi/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Hybrid_CoE_Paper_10_Cyber_conflict_in_a_hybrid_threat_environment_WEB.pdf
Marrelli, A. F. (2007). The performance technologist’s toolbox: Case studies. Performance Improvement, 46(7), 39–44.
Mumford, A., & Carlucci, P. (2023). Hybrid warfare: The continuation of ambiguity by other means. European Journal of International Security, 8, 192–206.
Perdana, A., Aminanto, M. E., & Anggorojati, B. (2024). Hack, heist, and havoc: The Lazarus Group’s triple threat to global cybersecurity. Journal of Information Technology Teaching Cases, 14(1), 1–10.
Reddy, E., & Minnaar, A. (2018). Cryptocurrency: A tool and target for cybercrime. Acta Criminologica: Southern African Journal of Criminology, 31(3), 71–87.
Times of India. (2024, July 6). Japan, US, and South Korea issue joint statement on $235 million hacking of India’s Bitcoin exchange WazirX. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/technology/tech-news/japan-us-and-south-korea-issue-joint-statement-on-235-million-hacking-of-india-ka-bitcoin-exchange-wazirx/articleshow/117270475.cms
United Nations Security Council. (2023). Final report of the Panel of Experts submitted pursuant to resolution 2627 (2022) (S/2023/171, para. 137, p. 69). https://undocs.org/S/2023/171
Zellers, K. (2024). Hacked! North Korea’s billion-dollar crypto heisting scheme. Penn State Journal of Law & International Affairs, 12(2), 261–302.
