The FBI sound the alarm : “don’t accidentally hire a north korean hacker”. Without knowing it, some American companies recruited IT developers from abroad, who secretly work for Kim Jong-un’s regime. According to the FBI, these recruitments represent a risk for the country.
North Koreans hidden to finance the Pyongyang regime
US authorities recently warned companies about inadvertently hiring employees from North Korea. The latter would take advantage of remote work policies to conceal their true identity and fatten Pyongyang on the back of Washington. They can also infiltrate the web infrastructures of the companies concerned. The State Department, Treasury Department and FBI say the practice has become more prevalent since the health crisis.
Quantum-strength encryption soon a reality in the United States
The North Korean regime is making increasing efforts to try to circumvent United States and United Nations sanctions, with the aim of funding North Korea’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs. Federal and U.S. officials working on the case said the companies that recruited and paid these workers, however inadvertently, may face legal consequences for violation of sanctions. They feel that “Thousands of North Korean developers currently make up the ranks of American companies”.
These developers land freelance contracts
According to the FBI, these developers take advantage of the lack of talent in the United States and Europe, in the field of computer science and artificial intelligence. These include developers for software and mobile applications. They obtain freelance contracts from clients all over the world, especially in North America, Europe and East Asia. Three North Koreans were recently indicted because they were found to have direct ties to Kim Jong-un’s government. They claimed to be from South Korea.
US authorities are compiling a list of actions for companies to watch out for, including refusing to participate in video calls and requests for payment in virtual currency. The FBI said that these workers were mostly based in China and Russia, and that a smaller number of them operated in Africa and Southeast Asia. Much of the money they earn is confiscated by the North Korean government. If the main objective of these workers is indeed to make money for Pyongyang, some have nevertheless contributed to cybercriminal operations, supported by the government of Kim Jong-un.