What We Learned Inside a North Korean Internet Server: How Well Do You Know Your Partners?
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What We Learned Inside a North Korean Internet Server: How Well Do You Know Your Partners?
A misconfigured North Korean Internet cloud server has provided a fascinating glance into the world of North Korean animation outsourcing and how foreign companies might be inadvertently employing North Korean companies on information technology (IT) projects. The incident also underlines how difficult it is for foreign companies to verify their outsourced work is not potentially breaking sanctions and ending up on computers in Pyongyang.
A Month of Animation
The story begins in late 2023 with the discovery of a cloud storage server on a North Korean Internet Protocol (IP) address. The server, which appears no longer in use, had been incorrectly configured, making the daily flow of files into and out of this server viewable by anyone without a password.
North Korea employs such servers because the average IT worker inside the country does not have direct access …
A misconfigured North Korean Internet cloud server has provided a fascinating glance into the world of North Korean animation outsourcing and how foreign companies might be inadvertently employing North Korean companies on information technology (IT) projects. The incident also underlines how difficult it is for foreign companies to verify their outsourced work is not potentially breaking sanctions and ending up on computers in Pyongyang.
A Month of Animation
The story begins in late 2023 with the discovery of a cloud storage server on a North Korean Internet Protocol (IP) address. The server, which appears no longer in use, had been incorrectly configured, making the daily flow of files into and out of this server viewable by anyone without a password.
North Korea employs such servers because the average IT worker inside the country does not have direct access …