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North Korean Operatives Exploit AI to Infiltrate Over 320 Remote IT Roles in Past Year

This operation uses stolen U.S. identities paired with AI-driven evasion techniques to funnel tech salaries into North Korea’s weapons program.

Overview

  • CrowdStrike recorded a 220% year-over-year surge in incidents, investigating more than 320 cases of North Korean operatives obtaining remote IT positions over the 12 months ending June 30.
  • Operatives relied on generative AI at every stage—from forging resumes and deepfake video interviews to automating daily coding tasks—to avoid detection and manage multiple jobs.
  • The scheme has expanded beyond the United States into Europe, Latin America and other regions, with new “laptop farms” established to facilitate remote work under false identities.
  • The U.S. Department of Justice has prosecuted U.S.-based facilitators and seized laptop farms, including one operation that stole 80 American identities to place operatives at over 100 companies.
  • Security experts warn that as AI-powered tactics outpace traditional defenses, companies must strengthen identity verification and enforce strict need-to-know access controls to counter the threat.