North Korea's IT Worker Program Expands Globally, Threatening Diverse Industries
North Korea's IT Worker program has broadened its scope, now targeting a wide range of industries and job roles worldwide. Over 130 linked identities have pursued over 6,500 job interviews across 5,000+ companies by mid-2025. These workers are refining their methods to evade traditional vetting controls, posing a significant threat to various sectors.
Initially focusing on AI-focused organizations, the program has expanded to include healthcare providers, banks, insurance firms, and government agencies. Now, they're targeting finance, payments processing, and engineering support roles, moving beyond just coding positions. Okta advises organizations to adopt a multi-layered defense strategy, including rigorous identity verification, advanced screening processes, and insider-threat programs.
Potential target sectors and roles are vast, spanning healthcare and social services (nursing, childcare, social work), technology and IT (software developers, data analysts, UX/UI designers, cybersecurity specialists), skilled trades (electricians, engineers, logistics), and managerial roles across industries. With 50% of targeted entities not being tech companies and 27% outside the US, the threat is global and diverse.
North Korea's IT Worker program is evolving, posing a substantial risk to numerous industries worldwide. Organizations must enhance their security measures and remain vigilant against this growing threat, which is no longer confined to tech companies or the US.
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