The FBI says a North Korean remote IT worker was caught working for a U.S. federal agency, marking the first public confirmation that such infiltration reached the federal level.[1][3]
Todd Hemenway, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s cyber division, said at a conference in Washington last week that investigators had identified “a North Korean remote IT worker working for the federal government.” He did not identify the agency or the worker’s duties.[1][4]
The case suggests the worker may have been hired as a remote contractor, since direct federal employment requires extensive background checks.[7] North Korean IT workers have long been known to seek jobs at private companies under false identities, mainly to earn foreign currency, but access to a government agency could also create a path to sensitive information theft.[2][7]
U.S. officials are expected to consider additional sanctions or other responses as the investigation continues. The Korean article says there is also concern that North Korea’s government may have been directly involved.[2]
