PANews, September 13: According to Cointelegraph, citing NBC News, North Korea is recruiting remote IT personnel from third countries such as Iran and Lebanon to assist in infiltrating U.S. companies. These foreign individuals are identified on LinkedIn and hired as part-time "interview assistants" with a monthly cryptocurrency payment of $500; after securing the position through job interviews, North Korean operatives take over the actual work. In July of this year, the U.S. government, in coordination with multiple foreign agencies, issued a warning that North Korean IT personnel "accept contracts with the intent of remitting salaries back to their home institutions, while posing internal threats involving data theft, cryptocurrency theft, and exfiltration of sensitive information." Data shows that cryptocurrency losses attributed to North Korean state-linked hackers exceeded $2 billion in 2025, a 51% year-over-year increase.
North Korea recruits IT workers from Iran and Lebanon to infiltrate U.S. companies
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Summary
North Korea is exploiting CFT loopholes to recruit IT workers from Iran and Lebanon to infiltrate U.S. companies. These remote hires, sourced via LinkedIn, are paid $500 per month in cryptocurrency as part-time “interview assistants.” Once hired, North Korean operatives assume control of these roles. In July, U.S. and international agencies warned that these individuals pose internal threats, including data and cryptocurrency theft. North Korea-linked hackers caused over $2 billion in crypto losses in 2025, a 51% increase from the previous year. As MiCA strengthens EU crypto oversight, such tactics underscore the urgent need for global regulatory coordination.
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