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North Korean operatives have infiltrated hundreds of Fortune 500 companies, posing a significant and growing threat to IT infrastructure and sensitive data. Security leaders at Mandiant and Google Cloud have indicated that nearly every major company has either hired or received applications from North Korean nationals working on behalf of the regime. These individuals primarily aim to earn salaries that are then sent back to Pyongyang, contributing to the country's revenue stream. Cybersecurity experts warn that this issue is more pervasive than previously understood, with organizations often unaware of the extent of the infiltration.
Hundreds of Fortune 500 organizations have unknowingly hired these North Korean IT workers, and nearly every CISO interviewed has admitted to hiring at least one, if not several, of these individuals. Google has also detected North Korean technical workers within its talent pipeline, though the company states that none have been hired to date. The risk of North Korean nationals working for large organizations has become so prevalent that security professionals now assume it is happening unless actively detected. Security analysts continue to raise alarms and highlight the expansive ecosystem of tools, infrastructure, and specialized talent North Korea has developed to support this illicit activity.
The FBI and cybersecurity experts are actively working to identify and remove these remote workers. According to Adam Meyers, Head of Country Adversary Operations at CrowdStrike, there have been over 90 incidents in the past 90 days, resulting in millions of dollars flowing to the North Korean regime through high-paying developer jobs. Microsoft is tracking thousands of personas and identities used by these North Korean IT workers, indicating a high-volume operation. Uncovering one North Korean IT worker scam often leads to the discovery of many others, as demonstrated by CrowdStrike's investigation that revealed 30 victim organizations.
ImgSrc: cyberscoop.com
References :
Hundreds of Fortune 500 organizations have unknowingly hired these North Korean IT workers, and nearly every CISO interviewed has admitted to hiring at least one, if not several, of these individuals. Google has also detected North Korean technical workers within its talent pipeline, though the company states that none have been hired to date. The risk of North Korean nationals working for large organizations has become so prevalent that security professionals now assume it is happening unless actively detected. Security analysts continue to raise alarms and highlight the expansive ecosystem of tools, infrastructure, and specialized talent North Korea has developed to support this illicit activity.
The FBI and cybersecurity experts are actively working to identify and remove these remote workers. According to Adam Meyers, Head of Country Adversary Operations at CrowdStrike, there have been over 90 incidents in the past 90 days, resulting in millions of dollars flowing to the North Korean regime through high-paying developer jobs. Microsoft is tracking thousands of personas and identities used by these North Korean IT workers, indicating a high-volume operation. Uncovering one North Korean IT worker scam often leads to the discovery of many others, as demonstrated by CrowdStrike's investigation that revealed 30 victim organizations.
ImgSrc: cyberscoop.com
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References :
- blog.knowbe4.com: Hundreds of Fortune 500 companies have hired North Korean operatives.
- Threats | CyberScoop: North Korean operatives have infiltrated hundreds of Fortune 500 companies
- PCMag UK security: North Koreans Still Working Hard to Take Your IT Job: 'Any Organization Is a Target'
- cyberscoop.com: North Korean operatives have infiltrated hundreds of Fortune 500 companies
- WIRED: For years, North Korea has been secretly placing young IT workers inside Western companies. With AI, their schemes are now more devious—and effective—than ever.
- gbhackers.com: Hundreds of Fortune 500 Companies Have Unknowingly Employed North Korean IT Operatives
- www.scworld.com: Widespread Fortune 500 firm infiltration conducted by North Koreans
Classification:
- HashTags: #NorthKorea #AI #CyberEspionage
- Company: Microsoft
- Target: Fortune 500 Companies
- Attacker: North Korean
- Product: AI tools
- Feature: AI-enhanced infiltration
- Malware: Deepfake
- Type: Espionage
- Severity: Medium