The United States blamed North Korean hackers for a massive cryptocurrency heist worth $615m from a video gaming company tied to Pyongyang.
The FBI noted that hackers stole the money from players of the popular online game Axie Infinity in March. The game allows one to earn crypto through gameplay or trading their avatars.
US officials pointed out that they linked the hack to a group called "Lazarus", believed to be controlled by North Korea's primary intelligence bureau.
"Through our investigations we were able to confirm Lazarus Group and APT38, cyber actors associated with [North Korea], are responsible for the theft," the FBI said in a statement on Thursday.
In 2014, media outlets reported that Lazarus Group hacked into Sony Pictures and publicly leaked confidential data.
The group demanded that Sony withdraw its then-upcoming film The Interview, a satirical comedy about a plot to assassinate North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
In the same vein, a United Nations panel that monitors sanctions on North Korea has accused Pyongyang of using stolen funds to support its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes as a way to avoid international sanctions.
"The United States is aware that the DPRK has increasingly relied on illicit activities - including cybercrime - to generate revenue for its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs as it tries to evade robust US and UN sanctions," Reuters quoted a Treasury Department spokesperson as saying.
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