Japanese Companies Threatened by DPRK IT Workers
Contents
Threat Analysis
Japanese Companies Threatened by DPRK IT Workers
Executive Summary
The Japanese government warned domestic companies in March 2024 about contracting North Korean (DPRK) IT workers posing as Japanese nationals to earn cash, as it is suspected they are using the proceeds to fund Pyongyang’s ballistic missile and nuclear weapons development programs. The United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea jointly issued an updated warning on 14 January 2025 advising private sector entities, particularly in blockchain and freelance work industries, to thoroughly review risk advisories and announcements to better inform cyber threat mitigation measures and to mitigate the risk of inadvertently hiring DPRK IT workers. Many smaller companies however do not have adequate resources to perform these checks themselves.
In this report, Nisos identified a likely DPRK IT worker, who appears to have been employed in remote Software Engineering and Full Stack Developer positions with Japanese companies since January 2023. The individual …
Japanese Companies Threatened by DPRK IT Workers
Executive Summary
The Japanese government warned domestic companies in March 2024 about contracting North Korean (DPRK) IT workers posing as Japanese nationals to earn cash, as it is suspected they are using the proceeds to fund Pyongyang’s ballistic missile and nuclear weapons development programs. The United States, Japan, and the Republic of Korea jointly issued an updated warning on 14 January 2025 advising private sector entities, particularly in blockchain and freelance work industries, to thoroughly review risk advisories and announcements to better inform cyber threat mitigation measures and to mitigate the risk of inadvertently hiring DPRK IT workers. Many smaller companies however do not have adequate resources to perform these checks themselves.
In this report, Nisos identified a likely DPRK IT worker, who appears to have been employed in remote Software Engineering and Full Stack Developer positions with Japanese companies since January 2023. The individual …