An IT security company in Florida accidentally hired a North Korean hacker in July who posed as a Western technician. The incident raises questions about security and recruitment procedures in the industry.

Important findings

  • A North Korean hacker was hired as a Western technician.
  • The hacker used a stolen identity during the application process.
  • The incident was only discovered after several background checks and video interviews.
  • The US government has been warning of such threats since May 2022.

The incident

In July, an IT security company from Clearwater, Florida, unknowingly hired a North Korean hacker as a software engineer. The hacker used a stolen identity and went through several background checks and video interviews before the scam was discovered.

Responses and measures

Roger Grimes, a data-driven defense specialist at KnowBe4, the company involved, was shocked by the incident. “It was just incredible that we were targeted,” Grimes said. The company has now begun to revise its recruitment procedures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Expert opinions

Paul Vann and Justin Marciano, the founders of IdentifAI, a deep-fake detection platform, stressed the dangers of such attacks. “If a cyber security company that serves other cyber security companies is exploited, it can cause many problems,” Vann said. Marciano added that the technique used was real-time and therefore particularly difficult to detect.

Future threats

The US government warned of the growing threat from deepfake technology as early as May 2022. Experts such as Vann and Marciano expect such technologies to be used increasingly in fake job scams. KnowBe4 is using the incident as a lesson to implement better hiring protocols.

Conclusion

The incident shows the importance of having robust security measures and thorough checks in the hiring process. Organizations must remain vigilant and continuously evolve to counter such threats.

Sources

  • Florida IT security company inadvertently hires North Korean hacker, WKMG.
  • Florida IT security company inadvertently hires North Korean hacker, WKMG.