The North Korea worker problem is bigger than you think

a year ago

North Korean nationals have infiltrated businesses globally with deep-rooted access.
They gain full-time employment with high-level access to enterprise systems.
DTEX estimates thousands of critical infrastructure organizations have been infiltrated.
North Korean operatives have privileged-access rights, enabling them to control systems.
The scheme extends beyond IT, involving specialized professionals working under false pretenses.
Insider threats linked to North Korea have surged, with multiple cases reported.
Organizations often unknowingly hire multiple North Korean nationals.
Once hired, they quickly infiltrate further, often pivoting to third-party networks.
North Korean workers use remote access tools, blending in with typical onboarding activities.
They perform their jobs exceptionally well, sometimes better than others.
Their activity is anomalous, with impossibly long login times indicating shared access.
North Korean workers generate hundreds of millions for the regime.
Potential follow-on activities include espionage, extortion, and disruptive attacks.
Identifying insider threats is challenging but not impossible.
HR and recruiters are the first line of defense against such threats.

Hasty Briefsbeta