Overview

• On July 8, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Song Kum Hyok and four entities, including the Russia-based Asatryan IT Worker Network.
• The sanctions allege Song recruited thousands of DPRK operatives using stolen US identities to secure remote IT positions at unwitting firms.
• Fraudulent IT contracts have funneled hundreds of millions of dollars into Kim Jong Un’s weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs.
• The State Department’s Rewards for Justice program announced up to $10 million for leads on malicious cyber actors and $5 million for tips on scheme financiers.
• US officials urged companies to strengthen credential checks and mandate video interviews to guard against further North Korean infiltration.