U.S. Government Issues Warning About Undercover North Koreans Working in the Crypto and IT Industries

05/17/2022

The U.S. government is increasingly alarmed about the thousands of North Korean tech workers that are being dispatched to American IT companies, including crypto firms, to earn revenue for North Korea and its weapons programs, violating U.S. and UN sanctions. In a new advisory, the government outlined methods to detect undercover North Korean workers, who gain access to crypto-related software and apps and provide a backdoor for malicious cyber attacks by North Korean actors. These workers often conceal their North Korean identities, and in some cases, pretend to be American remote gig workers by using virtual private networks and servers or relying on IP addresses and identity documents from a third country. “Hiring or supporting the activities of [North Korean] IT workers poses many risks, ranging from theft of intellectual property, data, and funds to reputational harm and legal consequences, including sanctions under both U.S. and U.N. authorities,” the government said.

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