Microsoft suspends 3,000 Outlook and Hotmail accounts linked to North Korean IT workers
The post Microsoft suspends 3,000 Outlook and Hotmail accounts linked to North Korean IT workers appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Microsoft has suspended 3000 Outlook and Hotmail accounts tied to a North Korean scheme involving DPRK nationals posing as remote workers under false identities. U.S. officials have long warned that North Korea uses illicit earnings from crypto hacks, fraud, and IT operations to bypass international sanctions and maintain its military programs. Authorities are now cracking down on what they are calling a global criminal operation that secretly funnels millions to Kim Jong Un’s authoritarian regime. Microsoft shuts down 3,000 North Korea-linked email accounts Microsoft has suspended over 3,000 email accounts in a sweep of the international scheme operated by North Korean IT workers posing as remote tech professionals. Microsoft’s actions follow a coordinated operation involving the U.S. Department of Justice, FBI, and other federal agencies. Together, they have begun dismantling a sophisticated conspiracy code-named “Jasper Sleet” by Microsoft Threat Intelligence. It’s an operation that exploits freelance job markets and tech firms worldwide. The operation not only defrauds employers but is also believed to directly fund North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. According to Microsoft’s Threat Intelligence team, the scheme involves trained IT professionals from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) who assume false identities to secure remote employment with foreign companies, especially in the United States. Many of these workers are highly skilled, with some employers unknowingly praising them as top performers. “These aren’t hackers breaking into systems,” Microsoft’s Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) said. “They’re skilled developers, quality assurance engineers, and IT support specialists who pass interviews, complete real work, and blend in—except for one critical detail: they’re working for the DPRK.” In many cases, accomplices who are sometimes American citizens facilitate access by renting out their identities or operating what authorities describe as “laptop farms.” Laptop farms are physical locations where laptops issued by unsuspecting employers are shipped and…
The post Microsoft suspends 3,000 Outlook and Hotmail accounts linked to North Korean IT workers appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.
Microsoft has suspended 3000 Outlook and Hotmail accounts tied to a North Korean scheme involving DPRK nationals posing as remote workers under false identities. U.S. officials have long warned that North Korea uses illicit earnings from crypto hacks, fraud, and IT operations to bypass international sanctions and maintain its military programs. Authorities are now cracking down on what they are calling a global criminal operation that secretly funnels millions to Kim Jong Un’s authoritarian regime. Microsoft shuts down 3,000 North Korea-linked email accounts Microsoft has suspended over 3,000 email accounts in a sweep of the international scheme operated by North Korean IT workers posing as remote tech professionals. Microsoft’s actions follow a coordinated operation involving the U.S. Department of Justice, FBI, and other federal agencies. Together, they have begun dismantling a sophisticated conspiracy code-named “Jasper Sleet” by Microsoft Threat Intelligence. It’s an operation that exploits freelance job markets and tech firms worldwide. The operation not only defrauds employers but is also believed to directly fund North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. According to Microsoft’s Threat Intelligence team, the scheme involves trained IT professionals from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) who assume false identities to secure remote employment with foreign companies, especially in the United States. Many of these workers are highly skilled, with some employers unknowingly praising them as top performers. “These aren’t hackers breaking into systems,” Microsoft’s Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) said. “They’re skilled developers, quality assurance engineers, and IT support specialists who pass interviews, complete real work, and blend in—except for one critical detail: they’re working for the DPRK.” In many cases, accomplices who are sometimes American citizens facilitate access by renting out their identities or operating what authorities describe as “laptop farms.” Laptop farms are physical locations where laptops issued by unsuspecting employers are shipped and…
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