SEAL members: North Korean agents have infiltrated 15% to 20% of encryption companies

According to DL News, Pablo Sabbatella, founder of the Web3 auditing firm opsek and a member of the Security Alliance (SEAL), revealed at the Devconnect conference that North Korean infiltration is far beyond imagination, with 15% to 20% of crypto companies harboring North Korean infiltrators, and 30% to 40% of job applications potentially coming from North Korean agents attempting to infiltrate.

Due to international sanctions, most North Korean agents cannot apply for jobs directly, so they are scouting for remote workers globally, particularly from developing countries like Ukraine and the Philippines as cover. They ask these workers to provide account credentials or allow them to remotely use their identities, with workers receiving 20% of the income while the agents take 80%. North Korean agents also recruit Americans as "front ends," posing as non-English speaking interviewees from China, implanting malware on the other party's computer to obtain U.S. IP addresses and bypass restrictions to access more content. Once hired, they are often retained long-term due to their diligent work and lack of complaints. They can be identified by asking their opinion on Kim Jong-un, as they are prohibited from speaking ill of him. Sabbatella stated that the cryptocurrency industry has poor operational security, making founders easy victims of social engineering and computers susceptible to malware.