What was the North Korean hacking group APT38 involved in?

APT38, a North Korean hacking group, was involved in a scheme to obtain remote IT jobs at US companies in order to generate revenue for North Korea's weapons programs.

How much revenue did the North Korean hackers generate through their fraudulent employment scheme?

The North Korean hackers' fraudulent employment scheme generated over $2.2 million in revenue for the North Korean regime.

What actions did the US Justice Department take against the North Korean hackers?

The US Justice Department is seeking to seize over $15 million in cryptocurrency that the North Korean hackers had stolen through various heists as part of their crackdown on the scheme.

Home / Crime and Justice / North Korean Hackers Exploit Remote Work to Fund Weapons Programs

North Korean Hackers Exploit Remote Work to Fund Weapons Programs

18 Nov

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Summary

5 men pleaded guilty to assisting North Koreans in obtaining US IT jobs
Scheme generated over $2.2M in revenue for North Korean regime
Hackers used remote access software to create false appearance of US-based workers

North Korean Hackers Exploit Remote Work to Fund Weapons Programs

In a concerning development, five men have recently pleaded guilty to assisting North Korean hackers in obtaining remote IT jobs at US companies. The scheme, orchestrated by the notorious APT38 hacking group, aimed to steal millions of dollars in job revenue and cryptocurrencies to fund North Korea's weapons programs.

The defendants provided their own or stolen identities to North Korean IT workers, allowing them to bypass laws prohibiting their employment. They also hosted company-provided laptops at their residences to create the false appearance that the workers were operating domestically. In total, the fraudulent employment scheme impacted over 136 US companies and generated more than $2.2 million in revenue for the North Korean regime.