US sanctions individuals, firms behind North Korean tech worker scheme

The United States has imposed sanctions on individuals and companies linked to a scheme recruiting North Koreans to pose as American technology workers, a ploy designed to funnel funds back to Kim Jong Un’s regime.

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced penalties against a “malicious cyber actor” named Song Kum Hyok, accused of having ties with a hacking group linked to Pyongyang, along with another individual and four companies based in Russia and North Korea, Caliber.Az reports, citing foreign media.

According to the Treasury Department, Song Kum Hyok allegedly facilitated an IT worker scheme in which North Koreans and others working remotely from China and Russia are given false American identities. This often involves using information stolen from US citizens to secure remote employment with American companies and generate revenue for North Korea.

The workers reportedly use “a variety of mainstream and industry-specific freelance contracting, payment, and social media and networking platforms,” the department said. In some cases, these IT workers have introduced malware into company networks.

The US government revealed that thousands of North Korean workers have been posing as nationals from other countries to infiltrate companies across the US and worldwide.

Last month, the Justice Department announced one arrest and charges against nine individuals connected to the scheme.

In a separate move, the State Department offered a reward of up to $5 million for information that could disrupt the financial networks supporting North Korea. Additionally, it offered $10 million for identifying and locating individuals involved in cyber attacks targeting critical US infrastructure.

By Vugar Khalilov