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 in global companies, often using fraudulent profiles and front companies. North Korean IT workers have been infiltrating international companies by securing remote positions under false identities. As remote work continues to grow, it is crucial for organizations and governments to collaborate on enhanced security measures and intelligence sharing to combat this evolving threat. With years of experience under his belt in Cyber Security, he is covering Cyber Security News, technology and other news. This tactic not only violates international sanctions but also poses significant cybersecurity risks, including data theft and the installation of backdoors on compromised systems. Cyber threats have evolved significantly in recent years, with malicious actors employing sophisticated tactics to compromise user systems. Cyber Security News is a Dedicated News Platform For Cyber News, Cyber Attack News, Hacking News & Vulnerability Analysis. To counter these threats, organizations must implement robust identity verification processes for remote hires, including video interviews and notarized identification documents. The Insikt Group has unveiled these activities, highlighting the use of sophisticated malware and front companies to evade detection. North Korea operates a network of front companies that mimic legitimate IT firms. Tushar is a Cyber security content editor with a passion for creating captivating and informative content. North Korea’s regime has adapted to tightened sanctions by escalating illicit activities, including cybercrime. While the experts at Insikt Group discovered that these operatives are linked to malicious campaigns that target industries reliant on intellectual property, such as cryptocurrency and software development. For instance, a developer reported being asked to download a coding challenge file that contained a malicious function, later identified as a BeaverTail infostealer. Awareness and training for HR and IT security teams are essential in preventing these actors from infiltrating critical business operations.

This Cyber News was published on cybersecuritynews.com. Publication date: Fri, 14 Feb 2025 15:30:13 +0000


Cyber News related to North Korean IT Workers Infiltrate International Companies To Plant Backdoors on Systems

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 ...
1 month 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. ...
2 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 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 ...
3 months ago Cybersecuritynews.com
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 ...
2 weeks ago Cybersecuritynews.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
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
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
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 ...
3 months ago Darkreading.com Andariel Kimsuky
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
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
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
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 ...
1 month ago Therecord.media
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
Seoul Police Reveals: North Korean Hackers Stole South Korean Anti-Aircraft Data - South Korea: Seoul police have charged Andariel, a North Korea-based hacker group for stealing critical defense secrets from South Korea's defense companies. Allegedly, the laundering ransomware is redirected to North Korea. One of the 1.2 terabytes ...
1 year ago Cysecurity.news Andariel Lazarus Group
FBI Charges North Korean Hackers Over $100 Million Stolen in Crypto Hack - The FBI has recently charged a North Korean hacker in connection with the Harmony crypto hack from which the hacker allegedly stole over $100 million. The hacker, Jon Chang Hyok, is a member of the North Korean military intelligence agency, the ...
2 years ago Bleepingcomputer.com
US seizes Sinbad crypto mixer used by North Korean Lazarus hackers - The U.S. Department of the Treasury has sanctioned the Sinbad cryptocurrency mixing service for its use as a money-laundering tool by the North Korean Lazarus hacking group. A cryptocurrency mixer is a server that allows people to deposit crypto, ...
1 year ago Bleepingcomputer.com Lazarus Group
North Korean Hackers Stole $600m in Crypto in 2023 - North Korean hackers stole at least $600m in cryptocurrency in 2023, around a third of the total value of such heists, according to blockchain intelligence firm TRM. Despite the eye-watering sum, this figure represents a 30% reduction on ...
1 year ago Infosecurity-magazine.com
North Korean Hackers Attacked Indian Medical and Energy Companies - The North Korean military's notorious hacking arm, known as the Lazarus Group, has been accused of targeting public and private sector research organizations, an Indian medical research company, and other businesses in the energy sector. Security ...
2 years ago Therecord.media Lazarus Group BianLian
Experts from the United Nations Report North Korean Hackers Have Taken a Large Amount of Digital Assets - Last year, North Korean hackers working for the government stole a record-breaking amount of virtual assets estimated to be worth between $630 million and more than $1 billion, according to a new report from U.N. experts. The panel of experts said ...
2 years ago Securityweek.com Andariel Kimsuky Lazarus Group Rocke
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 ...
2 months ago Cybersecuritynews.com
The past year was the most detrimental for digital currency security breaches, with North Korean organizations profiting. - In 2022, cyberattacks on cryptocurrency platforms resulted in the theft of almost $4 billion, with a large portion of the activity being attributed to hackers working on behalf of the North Korean government. According to blockchain research firm ...
2 years ago Therecord.media Lazarus Group
Unmasking Moonstone Sleet: A Deep Dive into North Korea's Latest Cyber Threat - Moonstone Sleet: A New North Korean Threat Actor Microsoft discovered a new North Korean threat actor, Moonstone Sleet, who targets companies with a combination of tried-and-true techniques used by other North Korean threat actors as well as unique ...
1 year ago Cysecurity.news