SEAL Team Member: North Korean Agents Have Infiltrated 15% to 20% of Cryptocurrency Companies

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

North Korean agents also recruit Americans as "front-enders," disguising themselves as non-English speakers from other countries during interviews to implant malware on the interviewer's computer to obtain a U.S. IP, bypassing restrictions to access more content. Once hired, due to their diligent work and lack of complaints, they are often kept on long term. To identify them, one can inquire about their opinion of Kim Jong-un, as they are forbidden to speak ill of him. Sabbatella stated that cybersecurity in the cryptocurrency industry is poor, founders are easily targeted as victims of social engineering, and computers are easily infected with malware.