MarketPR
The catalyst is a paycheck, not a breach.
The Treasury Department's accounting shows North Korean operatives running a state-directed IT workforce that generated nearly $800 million in 2024, money the regime routes toward weapons programs.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the operatives "weaponize sensitive data and extort businesses for substantial payments" after gaining trusted access from the inside. The mechanism is straightforward.
Workers apply to remote jobs using stolen American identities, route company laptops through U.S.-based addresses called laptop farms, and now use generative AI in live job interviews to answer questions in real time.
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