FPI / December 25, 2024
Geostrategy-Direct
When a Florida-based cybersecurity firm was looking for a highly qualified candidate to fill a software engineer position, “Kyle” seemed like a perfect fit.
After the firm, KnowBe4, offered “Kyle” the position, he asked his new employers to send his work laptop to an address in Washington state.
“Kyle” was not in Washington state.
In fact, he was an undercover North Korean agent, the UK media outlet The Times reported on Dec. 10.
The report noted: “KnowBe4 recruiters interviewed the candidate by video, noting he was ‘of Asian descent and spoke very good English with an accent, and knew their resumé very well.’ “
“Kyle” was revealed as an impostor only when he attempted to deploy malware minutes after reporting for his first day at work, which tripped the firm’s cybersecurity alarms. The FBI was notified before any damage was done.
The agent is one of an army of spies the Kim Jong-Un regime has sent to infiltrate American companies, the report said.
For his application “Kyle” had used a stolen identity and manipulated a stock image of a Caucasian man to look like an Asian man.
The spy “demonstrated a high level of sophistication in creating a believable cover identity, exploiting weaknesses in the hiring and background-check processes, and attempting to establish a foothold within the organization’s systems”, Stu Sjouwerman, chief executive at KnowBe4, said. “This is a well-organized, state-sponsored, criminal ring with extensive resources.”
The number of North Koreans hired in information technology jobs across the United States over the last two years is in the hundreds, if not thousands, the report cited officials and security researchers as saying.
Full Report . . . . Current Edition . . . . Subscription Information
Free Press International
