US cracks down on North Korean IT worker army with more sanctions

Summary: The U.S. Treasury Department has imposed sanctions on a network linked to North Korea’s Ministry of National Defense, which has been generating revenue through illegal remote IT work. The sanctions target specific companies and individuals involved in these schemes, highlighting North Korea’s reliance on overseas IT workers to fund its weapons programs and support for Russia. The U.S. aims to disrupt these networks to mitigate their destabilizing activities.

Threat Actor: North Korea | North Korea
Victim: Various organizations | Various organizations

Keypoints :

• The U.S. Treasury sanctioned North Korean front companies and their leaders for generating revenue through illegal IT work.
• North Korean IT workers, known as “IT warriors,” impersonate U.S. staff to secure freelance contracts while hiding their identities.
• The North Korean government retains up to 90% of the wages earned by these workers, funding its weapons programs.