In this hyper-connected world, stealing someone’s identity is not just cybercrime; it’s now becoming a source of profit and power. The US Justice Department recently exposed an identity theft operation led by the North Korean regime. There were 80 Americans whose identities were hacked and used to secure jobs in 100 U.S companies. They successfully stole at least $900,0000 worth of cryptocurrency from a company.
The worst thing is that two Americans were also involved in it, who helped them set up laptop farms in North Korea. It’s like how we focus on defending against external threats to stay safe, yet sometimes the greatest harm comes from those closest to us. Anyhow, one of them got arrested. Moreover, the involvement of six Chinese nationals and two Taiwanese citizens shows that it was a global-level planning to support the so-called IT-worker program. Experts warn that North Korea has hundreds to thousands of stolen American identities.
As fast as law enforcement shuts them down, they find a new way to adapt. This phenomenon is becoming more common day by day. Our documents are not just a piece of paper; they are our digital identity and a doorway to opportunities for these hackers. As our world becomes more connected through apps, websites, social media, cloud storage, and remote work, the chances of hacking, scams, and identity theft have increased significantly. Therefore, to stay safe, we need stronger defence systems and close monitoring of our accounts on a regular basis.
For years, the North Korean government has found a burgeoning source of sanctions-evading revenue by tasking its citizens with secretly applying for remote tech jobs in the West. A newly revealed takedown operation by American law enforcement makes clear just how much of the infrastructure used to pull off those schemes has been based in the United States.