North Korean IT Workers Attacking European Organizations to Infiltrate Corporate Infrastructure

Unlike corporate laptops that contain monitoring software, personal devices operating under BYOD policies typically lack traditional security and logging tools, making their activities substantially harder to track. These threat actors pose as legitimate remote workers to infiltrate companies, generating revenue for the DPRK regime while potentially compromising sensitive corporate infrastructure. Security analysts note that this approach represents a strategic evolution, as the operatives have identified these virtualized environments as particularly vulnerable to their infiltration schemes. Their research indicates a tactical shift in response to increased awareness and enforcement actions in the United States, driving these operatives to establish more robust operations across Europe. With years of experience under his belt in Cyber Security, he is covering Cyber Security News, technology and other news. Cyber Security News is a Dedicated News Platform For Cyber News, Cyber Attack News, Hacking News & Vulnerability Analysis. These settings allow employees to access company systems through virtual machines on personal devices, creating significant security blind spots. Google Threat Intelligence Group (GTIG) has identified this expanding threat through extensive investigations conducted in collaboration with security partners. When discovered and terminated, these IT workers have threatened to release sensitive data or sell proprietary source code to competitors, representing a significant escalation in their approach. Tushar is a Cyber security content editor with a passion for creating captivating and informative content. Technical projects undertaken by these operatives demonstrate considerable expertise, spanning traditional web development to advanced blockchain and AI applications. The infiltration begins when these operatives apply for remote technical positions, particularly targeting those in the defense industrial base and government sectors. Without these detection mechanisms, the IT workers can operate with minimal risk of discovery while accessing sensitive corporate resources. North Korean IT workers have significantly expanded their operations beyond the United States, with a growing focus on European organizations. Their tactics have evolved to include falsifying credentials, building rapport with recruiters, and utilizing multiple personas to vouch for their fabricated identities across job platforms like Upwork and Telegram. A particularly concerning development is the DPRK IT workers’ focus on bring your own device (BYOD) environments starting in January 2025.

This Cyber News was published on cybersecuritynews.com. Publication date: Wed, 02 Apr 2025 18:10:13 +0000


Cyber News related to North Korean IT Workers Attacking European Organizations to Infiltrate Corporate Infrastructure

North Korean IT worker scam is now a threat to all companies, cybersecurity experts say | The Record from Recorded Future News - Since disruptions began last year and law enforcement has publicly warned companies of the practice, DTEX’s Barnhart and others said they have seen some workers try to extort companies or hand off their access to more sophisticated North Korean ...
6 months ago Therecord.media
North Korean IT worker army expands operations in Europe - GTIG's report follows multiple warnings issued by the FBI regarding North Korea's massive army of IT workers sent abroad to generate revenue, who have tricked hundreds of companies in the United States and worldwide into hiring them over the years. ...
7 months ago Bleepingcomputer.com
Woman Accused of Helping North Korean IT Workers Infiltrate Hundreds of US Firms - The US government has announced charges, seizures, arrests and rewards as part of an effort to disrupt a scheme in which North Korean IT workers infiltrated hundreds of companies and earned millions of dollars for North Korea. According to the ...
1 year ago Securityweek.com
Moonstone Sleet emerges as new North Korean threat actor with new bag of tricks - Microsoft has identified a new North Korean threat actor, now tracked as Moonstone Sleet, that uses both a combination of many tried-and-true techniques used by other North Korean threat actors and unique attack methodologies to target companies for ...
1 year ago Microsoft.com
North Korean Remote IT Workers Added New Tactics and Techniques to Infiltrate Organizations - North Korean state-sponsored remote IT workers have significantly evolved their infiltration tactics, incorporating artificial intelligence tools and sophisticated deception techniques to penetrate organizations worldwide. Microsoft researchers ...
4 months ago Cybersecuritynews.com
U.S DoJ Announces Nationwide Actions to Combat North Korean Remote IT Workers - The U.S. Department of Justice announced coordinated nationwide law enforcement actions on June 30, 2025, targeting North Korean remote information technology workers’ illicit revenue generation schemes that have defrauded American companies ...
4 months ago Cybersecuritynews.com
Cybersecurity for Remote Workers: Best Practices - In the current era of remote work, organizations worldwide face a critical concern: ensuring the cybersecurity of their remote workers. To address this issue, businesses must establish a robust cybersecurity framework that incorporates best practices ...
1 year ago Securityzap.com
North Korea's state hackers stole $3 billion in crypto since 2017 - North Korean-backed state hackers have stolen an estimated $3 billion in a long string of hacks targeting the cryptocurrency industry over the last six years since January 2017. Kimsuky, Lazarus Group, Andariel, and other North Korean hacking groups ...
1 year ago Bleepingcomputer.com Andariel Kimsuky Lazarus Group
Reserachers Uncovered North Korean Nationals Remote IT Worker Fraud Scheme - In a significant cybersecurity investigation, researchers have revealed an elaborate fraud scheme orchestrated by North Korean nationals who used stolen identities to secure remote IT positions at US-based companies and nonprofits. The operation ...
6 months ago Cybersecuritynews.com
Woman gets 8 years for aiding North Koreans infiltrate 300 US firms - According to court documents, Chapman hosted the North Korean IT workers' computers in her own home beteen October 2020 and October 2023, creating a so-called "laptop farm" which was used to make it appear as though the devices were located in the ...
3 months ago Bleepingcomputer.com
North Korean IT Workers Attacking European Organizations to Infiltrate Corporate Infrastructure - Unlike corporate laptops that contain monitoring software, personal devices operating under BYOD policies typically lack traditional security and logging tools, making their activities substantially harder to track. These threat actors pose as ...
7 months ago Cybersecuritynews.com
Microsoft shuts down 3,000 email accounts created by North Korean IT workers | The Record from Recorded Future News - To illustrate the scale of the financial benefits North Korea is achieving through the scheme, prominent cryptocurrency investigator Zachary Wolk, also known as ZachXBT, said a recent investigation found more than $16.5 million in cryptocurrency ...
4 months ago Therecord.media
North Korean Hackers Utilizing Credential Stuffing to Launch Cyberattacks - In an alarming new report, researchers found that North Korean-linked hackers have been using stolen passwords during cyberattacks to gain access to various government, military and financial networks. According to security experts, the creative ...
2 years ago Thehackernews.com
North Korean Hackers Use Fake Job Offers & Salary Bumps as Lure for Crypto Theft - Recent investigations have uncovered a massive operation carried out by North Korean hackers looking to steal cryptocurrency through fake job offers and salary bumps. According to recent reports, hackers have been able to trace the malicious ...
2 years ago Therecord.media
Researchers Detailed North Korean Threat Actors Technical Strategies to Uncover Illicit Access - The technical sophistication of North Korean remote workers centers on their ability to maintain persistent access to corporate systems while masking their true geographical location and identity. For network-level obfuscation, the threat actors ...
3 months ago Cybersecuritynews.com
Cyber Employment 2024: Sky-High Expectations Fail Businesses & Job Seekers - Well-publicized estimates of a massive shortfall in cybersecurity workers have resulted in high expectations among job seekers in the field, but the reality often falls flat, because of a mismatch between companies' requirements and job seekers' ...
1 year ago Darkreading.com Equation
Arizona Woman Sentenced for Helping North Korean IT Workers by Operating Laptop Farm - The scheme involved systematic identity theft of 68 U.S. citizens, whose personal information was used to create false employment profiles for North Korean IT workers seeking remote positions at major American corporations. The targeted companies ...
3 months ago Cybersecuritynews.com
macOS Malware Mix & Match: North Korean APTs Stir Up Fresh Attacks - North Korean advanced persistent threat groups are mixing and matching components of two recently unleashed types of Mac-targeted malware to evade detection and fly under the radar as they continue their efforts to conduct operations at the behest of ...
1 year ago Darkreading.com
North Korea's Kimsuky Attacks Rivals' Trusted Platforms - North Korea-linked threat groups are increasingly using living-off-the-land (LotL) techniques and trusted services to evade detection, with a recent Kimsuky campaign showcasing the use of PowerShell scripts and storing data in Dropbox folders, along ...
8 months ago Darkreading.com Andariel Kimsuky
US govt sanctions North Korea's Kimsuky hacking group - The Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control has sanctioned the North Korean-backed Kimsuky hacking group for stealing intelligence in support of the country's strategic goals. OFAC has also sanctioned eight North Korean agents for ...
1 year ago Bleepingcomputer.com Andariel Kimsuky
State-Sponsored APT Groups Use Ransomware Tactics for Intelligence Gathering and Sabotage - State-sponsored threat groups are increasingly using ransomware-like tactics to hide more insidious activities. Russian APT group Sandworm has used ransomware programs to destroy data multiple times in the past six months, while North Korea's Lazarus ...
2 years ago Csoonline.com Andariel APT3 APT37 APT38 Kimsuky Lazarus Group BianLian
North Korean IT workers seen using AI tools to scam firms into hiring them | The Record from Recorded Future News - In an effort to improve its own onboarding process and help customers dealing with the scheme, cybersecurity firm Okta conducted research into online services used by individuals identified by U.S. authorities and third parties as agents for the ...
6 months ago Therecord.media
Thousands of North Korean IT Workers Using VPNs to Access the Internet, Report Finds - A recent report reveals that thousands of North Korean IT workers are using VPNs to bypass the country's strict internet restrictions. This widespread use of VPN technology allows these workers to access the global internet, facilitating ...
4 weeks ago Cybersecuritynews.com Lazarus Group
North Korean IT Workers Infiltrate International Companies To Plant Backdoors on Systems - The infiltration of North Korean IT workers into international companies poses a dual threat of sanctions violations and severe cybersecurity risks. The rise of remote work has provided new opportunities for North Korean IT workers to gain employment ...
8 months ago Cybersecuritynews.com
US hits senior North Korean officials with sanctions, $3 million bounties | The Record from Recorded Future News - U.S. law enforcement action centered on Korea Sobaeksu Trading Company — a North Korean company allegedly used as a front for the country’s Munitions Industry Department, which oversees the DPRK’s nuclear program and is involved in the ...
3 months ago Therecord.media

Cyber Trends (last 7 days)