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 and funded the DPRK’s weapons programs. These actions represent the latest phase of the Justice Department’s DPRK RevGen: Domestic Enabler Initiative, a joint effort between the National Security Division and the FBI’s Cyber and Counterintelligence Divisions specifically targeting North Korean revenue generation schemes. Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division emphasized the persistent threat, stating that North Korean IT workers can individually earn up to $300,000 annually, collectively generating hundreds of millions of dollars for designated entities, including the North Korean Ministry of Defense. The North Korean operatives demonstrated advanced technical capabilities, gaining access to sensitive employer data, including ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) controlled information from a California-based defense contractor developing AI-powered military technologies. According to court documents, the schemes involved North Korean individuals fraudulently obtaining employment with more than 100 U.S. companies using stolen and fake identities, with assistance from accomplices in the United States, China, the United Arab Emirates, and Taiwan. The U.S. DoJ conducted coordinated enforcement across 16 states on June 30, 2025, targeting North Korean remote IT workers funding DPRK weapons programs. Federal agents executed searches at 29 known or suspected “laptop farms” where North Korean IT workers remotely accessed U.S. company-provided equipment using KVM (Keyboard-Video-Mouse) switches and other remote access devices. North Korean operatives infiltrated 100+ U.S. companies, generating $5+ million illicitly while causing $3+ million in damages. The operation successfully infiltrated numerous Fortune 500 companies, generating over $5 million in illicit revenue while causing victim companies at least $3 million in damages, including legal fees and network remediation costs.
This Cyber News was published on cybersecuritynews.com. Publication date: Tue, 01 Jul 2025 08:25:14 +0000