Daijiworld Media Network - US
US, Dec 23: In a significant move, US tech giant Amazon has blocked over 1,800 North Korean nationals from joining the company, highlighting growing concerns over Pyongyang’s use of IT workers abroad to generate and launder funds.
Amazon’s Chief Security Officer, Stephen Schmidt, revealed on LinkedIn that North Korean applicants have been “attempting to secure remote IT jobs with companies worldwide, particularly in the US.” He noted a nearly one-third increase in applications from North Koreans over the past year.
The North Korean operatives often employ “laptop farms,” in which computers located in the US are remotely controlled from outside the country. Schmidt warned that this issue is not confined to Amazon alone and is likely widespread across the tech industry. Indicators of such applicants include incorrectly formatted phone numbers and suspicious academic credentials.
The matter is not new. In July, an Arizona woman received an eight-year prison sentence for running a laptop farm that helped North Korean IT workers secure remote jobs at more than 300 US companies, generating over $17 million in revenue for herself and North Korea.
South Korea’s intelligence agencies have also flagged similar activity, noting that North Korean operatives have posed as recruiters on LinkedIn to target South Koreans working in defence sectors to gather sensitive technology information.
Cybersecurity experts warn that North Korea has been actively training cyber personnel for decades, with its cyber-warfare program, Bureau 121, reportedly operating from multiple countries. Washington recently sanctioned eight individuals linked to “state-sponsored hacking” intended to fund North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. The US Treasury has accused North Korea-affiliated cybercriminals of stealing over $3 billion in the past three years, mostly through cryptocurrency.
Amazon’s preventive action underscores the growing threat posed by state-backed cyber activities and the need for heightened vigilance in the global IT sector.