SEAL Team Member: North Korean Agents Have Infiltrated 15% to 20% of Crypto Firms

BlockBeats News, November 24th, according to DL News, Pablo Sabbatella, founder of Web3 audit firm opsek and member of the Security Alliance (SEAL), revealed at the Devconnect conference that the extent of North Korean infiltration is far beyond imagination. He stated that 15% to 20% of cryptocurrency companies harbor North Korean infiltrators, and 30% to 40% of job applications may come from North Korean operatives attempting to infiltrate. Due to international sanctions, most North Korean operatives cannot apply directly, so they scout for remote workers globally, especially individuals from developing countries like Ukraine and the Philippines, to use as cover. They ask these workers to hand over their account credentials or allow the operatives to remotely use their identities. The workers receive 20% of the income, while the operatives take 80%.

North Korean operatives also recruit Americans as "front-end" individuals, posing as interviewees from China who pretend not to speak English. They implant malicious software on the interviewee's computer to obtain a U.S. IP address, bypassing restrictions to access more content. Once hired, these operatives, known for their diligent work and lack of complaints, are often retained long-term. To identify them, one can ask about their opinion of Kim Jong-un, as they are prohibited from speaking ill of him. Sabbatella stated that the cryptocurrency industry has poor operational security, with founders easily becoming victims of social engineering and computers being susceptible to malware.