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South Korea has imposed sanctions on 15 North Korean IT organization members and one related group for their involvement in cryptocurrency heists and cyber thefts aimed at funding North Korea's nuclear weapons development. These actions come in the wake of a year where North Korean hackers, notably the Lazarus Group, were responsible for over half of the cryptocurrency stolen globally in 2024. The sanctioned individuals, including Kim Cheol-min and Kim Ryu Song, were found to have earned significant foreign currency through overseas activities, which was then funneled into North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. According to Chainalysis, North Korean hackers stole over $1.34 billion in digital assets in 2024, marking a significant increase from the previous year. This escalation in theft value and frequency, particularly in high-value attacks, indicates an improvement in the DPRK's hacking capabilities, posing a growing threat to the security of the cryptocurrency space.
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has expressed readiness to retaliate with counter-tariffs should President-elect Donald Trump impose tariffs on Canadian goods, as discussed in an interview on MSNBC. Trudeau emphasized Canada's significant trade relationship with the US, noting that Canada is the top export partner for about 35 US states. In response to previous US tariffs on steel and aluminum, Canada had already retaliated with tariffs on various US products. Trudeau also highlighted Canada's efforts to bolster border security to address Trump's concerns about fentanyl and illegal migration, despite these issues being minor in comparison to other sources. Meanwhile, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith met with Trump to discuss energy relations, and Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly suggested that all options, including energy supply restrictions, are being considered. Trudeau's comments come at a time when he is preparing to step down as prime minister, with his party set to choose his successor soon.
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Apple Inc. faced a challenging period in the last quarter of the previous year, with a 5% decrease in global iPhone sales and a decline in market share to 18% worldwide in 2024. The company struggled particularly in China, its largest market outside the US, where it lost ground to local competitors like Xiaomi and Vivo. This downturn was partly attributed to the absence of Apple Intelligence features in the newly launched iPhone 16 series, which are still not available in China as Apple works on securing local partnerships for AI enhancements. Despite these setbacks, Apple managed to grow in regions like Latin America and saw an uptick in sales of its more expensive Pro and Pro Max models in China. Meanwhile, Chinese smartphone brands like Lenovo's Motorola, Huawei, and Honor are rapidly developing their own AI tools, intensifying competition in the market.
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In mid-2022, an attack on OpenSea's email service provider, Customer.io, led to the leakage of over seven million user email addresses. This data, which was not initially made public, has now been fully publicized, according to SlowMist's chief information security officer, 23pds. The leaked information includes emails of prominent figures in the cryptocurrency sector, providing scammers with a new resource for phishing and scamming. OpenSea had previously warned its customers about the breach, advising them to assume their email was compromised and to take precautionary measures. The incident underscores the ongoing threat of phishing scams, which were reported to have cost over $1 billion in stolen digital assets in 2024. Users are recommended to use strong, unique passwords, employ two-factor authentication, and keep their software updated to mitigate risks associated with such data leaks.
