North Korea (DPRK) is now using remote workers from third countries, including Iran and Lebanon, to help it infiltrate US companies and obtain money to fund its weapons programs, NBC reported on Friday.
A warning issued in July by the US government and several foreign ministries stated that North Korean IT specialists "are seeking contracts with the intention of transferring their salaries to North Korean organizations to which they report. They also pose an internal threat to companies and are involved in data extraction, cryptocurrency theft, and theft of confidential information."
As the US and other governments take measures against North Korean activities, the DPRK is increasingly turning to IT specialists from third countries to conduct job interviews, the report states. After securing employment contracts, these positions are typically filled by North Korean operatives.
NBC reported that foreign IT specialists were found via LinkedIn, with some offered $500 per month in cryptocurrency for part-time work as "interview assistants."
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The DPRK's increasingly sophisticated tactics may be yielding some results.
In May, Cointelegraph reported, citing cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, that hackers and other threat actors linked to the North Korean state caused cryptocurrency losses exceeding $2 billion in 2025, a 51% increase from the previous year.
According to an estimate by the Bank of Korea, North Korea's GDP grew by 3.5% in 2025, despite global sanctions.
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