More than 900 jobs in the cryptocurrency sector are currently held by North Korean hackers.

Cryptocurrency investigator ZachXBT has published an article about North Korean hackers working in the cryptocurrency industry, claiming that they could occupy up to 920 jobs in the IT and software development sector.

These intruders operate worldwide, targeting companies in the cryptocurrency industry. However, they often have clear warning signs, and specialized startups can detect potential threats.

North Korean hackers are quietly infiltrating cryptocurrency businesses

Since the Lazarus group carried out the largest theft in the history of cryptocurrency this year, the industry has been on alert for North Korean hackers.

Cryptocurrency crime is at a high level across the board, contributing to increased panic. However, there has yet to be any specific analysis of the potential intruders working in the cryptocurrency sector, something that ZachXBT is trying to address.

ZachXBT, one of the most famous investigators in the industry, has been tracking North Koreans in DeFi for the past few months. Some of the major intruders were revealed in May, but this trend is increasing.

Last week, these hackers stole 1 million USD from several NFT projects, showcasing their increasing capabilities. So, how did this intrusion work?

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Many hackers are paid entirely in cryptocurrency, or a combination of cryptocurrency and fiat money, allowing investigators to track their blockchain data. ZachXBT has tracked legitimate salary payments to suspected North Korean groups, totaling 16.58 million USD this year.

Many candidates do multiple jobs at the same time, so there may not be more than 900 hackers active simultaneously.

However, that does not provide much comfort for many people. North Korean hackers are likely present in most sectors of the cryptocurrency industry, regardless of KYC/AML requirements.

Many small startups are facing a talent shortage, causing them to overlook potential warning signs. These hackers also post fake job advertisements, developing their ability to impersonate ordinary candidates.

However, common warning signs can help companies identify these candidates during the recruitment process, such as dubious digital footprints, failure in KYC checks, and refusal to meet colleagues in the cities they claim to be living in.

The most important sign, however, is poor performance and a high turnover rate. North Korean hackers frequently take on IT and software development jobs at multiple companies simultaneously, trying to gain any internal access they can.

They often cannot meet the workload, especially since they are primarily concerned with security breaches.

All of that is to say that cryptocurrency startups should be able to prevent the infiltration of North Korea. So far, many of these techniques are still quite amateur.

A security company recently claimed that the Lazarus group sends weaker hackers to infiltrate companies, using more seasoned thieves to actually steal assets. Diligent followers can prevent these intrusions.

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