A United Nations Security Council panel says North Korean hackers stole a record amount of cryptocurrency last year.

The panel, which has been monitoring the council's sanctions against Pyongyang, conducted a survey between January and July this year. It released a report on Friday.

It noted that North Korea continues to ignore the sanctions in a number of fields.

Citing another report by a private research firm, the panel estimates the North's theft of virtual assets last year totaled 1.7 billion dollars. That's more than three times that of the previous year.

The panel urged UN member states to step up cybersecurity measures, saying North Korean hackers continue to use "increasingly sophisticated cybertechniques."

The report also noted that Pyongyang has acquired 14 vessels which the panel believes are being used for illegal trade via offshore ship-to-ship transfers.

It warned that the North has been using various measures to circumvent sanctions.

The panel says it continues to look into allegations that the North is engaged in illegal trade of weapons with Russia and other nations.