G7 leaders’ agenda could include North Korean hacking activities

Group of Seven leaders may discuss North Korea’s malicious cyber activities and crypto hacks at a summit in Kananaskis next month, according to people familiar with the plans, reflecting mounting global concerns over Pyongyang’s growing online thefts.

The people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss private deliberations, said North Korea’s nefarious cyber operations are alarming as the stolen proceeds have become a key funding source for the regime and its programs. They cautioned that the agenda for the summit taking place in Alberta in mid-June has yet to be finalized. Discussions at the gathering will likely be dominated by the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as the trade standoff between the US and most of the other G-7 nations, the people said.

Escalating worries about North Korea’s malicious activities come as Pyongyang deepens its relations with Russia, providing weapons and troops for Moscow’s war against Ukraine. After repeated denials, both countries recently admitted that North Korean forces were fighting alongside Russians in the Kursk border region.

Read more at Bloomberg via Calgary Herald