“North Korea has long been known as a hermit kingdom, but it is learning to embrace the internet. The Asian country has ‘dramatically’ changed its internet use patterns, according to a new report, which could make imposing sanctions and defending American networks more difficult. North Korea is using cyber operations to conduct low-level financial crimes and the country’s leaders are increasingly using the internet as a part of their daily life, according to an Oct. 25 report from Recorded Future, a threat intelligence firm.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is quick to embrace technology and then cast it aside, directing hacking operations along the way as he runs the country ‘like a criminal syndicate,’ according to the Recorded Future report. One example of North Korea’s technological experimentation is its use of social media. In recent months, it appears North Korean leaders are embracing LinkedIn, although it is not clear what their goals are. Hackers from the country have also developed ‘an asset-backed cryptocurrency scam,’ according to the report, which helps ‘to raise funds for the Kim regime.’ North Korea has begun to ‘professionalize their use of the internet,’ and the web has become a more regular tool for top officials, according to Recorded Future. The development ‘will exacerbate existing challenges in sanctions enforcement and computer network defense.’”
Source: North Korea is using the internet ‘like a criminal syndicate’
