For many years, cybersecurity threats such as hacking and identity theft have affected not only individual accounts, but also companies and organizations. Many governments point the finger at North Korea as the likely location of these hackers who have cost the global economy billions of dollars.
Now, reports from Cyber warfarea cybersecurity conference in Washington, D.C., confirmed the allegations and charted an ongoing effort by North Korean hackers to undermine companies.
Microsoft Researcher James Elliott has revealed that North Korean “IT workers” have infiltrated hundreds of companies around the world through impersonation.
Hackers secretly work with North Korea to infiltrate organizations
According to experts, corporate recruiters, venture capitalists, and IT workers are typical jobs North Korean hackers He catches. Security experts at Cyberwarcon revealed the growing cyber security breach highlighting the disruptions caused by cyber security threats. During the meeting, experts provided an updated assessment of the threat hackers pose to global security.
North Korean hackers stole billions of dollars in cryptocurrencies by posing as venture capitalists, employees, and IT workers. https://t.co/5mQwES2eqq
– TechCrunch (@TechCrunch) November 28, 2024
Experts say North Korea continues its efforts to undermine companies by allowing its hackers to pose as potential employees. The hackers’ main goals were to make money for the North Korean government and steal information that could help build its weapons program.
The group was also responsible for The latest wave of cryptocurrency hacking Accidents that cost billions of dollars. Since sanctions were already imposed, North Korea has become more aggressive in its efforts.
North Korea and its hacker groups
Experts say that many hacking groups are cooperating with the North Korean government. According to Microsoft, one such group is Ruby Slate, which has infiltrated defense and aerospace companies to steal industry information that could help the reclusive nation develop its own navigation and weapons systems.
Cryptocurrencies today hit a total market cap of $3.29 trillion. Chart: TradingView.com
Then there’s Sapphire Sleet, who introduce themselves as HR recruiters and venture capitalists. This group worked to steal cryptocurrencies from companies and individuals. According to investigations, the hackers were contacting their targets to set up a virtual meeting. However, this virtual meeting is designed to not load properly.
Under this setup, hackers will convince unsuspecting targets to download malware, which they will explain as a tool to solve the problem. Under the fake hiring process, the hacker will ask the candidate to download a skills assessment test that includes malware.
Image: Alamy
Microsoft warns of NoKor hackers
At the same conference, researchers warned the industry of a “triple threat.” They stated that NoKor cybercriminals can get work by deceiving employees, making money through their jobs, and possibly stealing information.
In Microsoft’s study, hundreds of companies unwittingly hired these hackers. Only a few companies came forward and shared their experiences.
For example, KnowBe4 shared that they were tricked into hiring these scammers. When the company learned of the scheme, it immediately blocked the hackers’ access to its system.
Featured image from Bleeping Computer, chart from TradingView