Kraken frustrates attempt at North Korean hacker infiltration in the process of hiring

Instead of denouncing it, they decided to continue with the process to investigate the tactics and strategies used by North Korean hackers to try to infiltrate technology companies. The team of Kraken He shared the case and warns the community about the associated hazards.

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• A candidate pretended to be an engineer and was tested by the security team of Kraken.
• The company converted the interview into a counterintelligence operation.
• Lazarus Group has stolen more than USD $ 1.5 billion in cryptocurrencies, according to Arkham.

Kraken, the International Exchange with headquarters in the US. Far from rejecting it immediately, the company transformed the selection process into a covert operation to know more detail the methods used by this type of actors.

The news was published by the company itself in its official blog, where it detailed how its security and recruitment teams detected suspicious indications during a routine hiring process for a technical position. “Instead of alerting the candidate, we strategically advance with the interview to study his approach ”he said Kraken.

The interview that became security operation

Kraken He explained that, once the internal alerts on the possible origin of the candidate were activated, their teams decided to continue the process for investigative purposes. “We submit the candidate to multiple rounds of technical tests of computer security and verification tasks”explained the firm. The objective was to obtain precise information about their tactics, technical language and behavior against identity controls.

During a live interview, the team of Kraken He implemented two factors authentication tests, such as the application for verification of location, presentation of an official identification and seemingly innocent questions as recommendations of restaurants in the city that the candidate claimed to inhabit.

The result was revealing. “At that point, the candidate collapsed”Kraken said. “He was nervous, had problems with basic evidence and could not convince questions about his residence or citizenship.”

Multiple identities and an infiltrated network

Subsequent research revealed that the individual had used several false identities to apply for jobs not only in the crypto sector, but also in other technological industries.

Kraken He states that some of these names had already been previously hired by companies in the sector. One of them even appears in lists of sanctioned for acting as a foreign agent.

The situation demonstrates the level of sophistication that these networks are willing to use to penetrate critical infrastructures of the blockchain sector and obtain sensitive information, privileged access or even prepare future robberies from within.

North Korea and its links with hackeos

The infiltration attempt is not an isolated case. In recent years, North Korea has been accused of carrying out massive cryptocurrencies as part of its state financing operations. Various analysis signatures, such as Arkham Intelligence, have linked the group Lazarus —A cybernetic unit supposedly supported by the North Korean government – with multimillionaire hackeos.

One of the most sued was the attack on Bybit, that, according to Arkham, It resulted in the theft of more than USD $ 1.5 billion, becoming the greatest blow to the history of the crypto ecosystem. To this is added a report of Techcrunch which attributes to North Korean hackers the theft of more than USD $ 650 million only in 2024.

Part of the strategy, according to intelligence reports and companies in the sector, includes the sending of IT workers that are passed through common professionals and apply to positions in crypto companies, with the aim of operating as internal threats.

WARNING FOR THE INDUSTRY

The case represents an alert signal for the rest of the crypto ecosystem. Kraken Not only did he share his experience, but thanked the cooperation of industry partners that they had warned about the North Korean hacker trend applying vacancies. The collaboration between companies will be key to avoiding leaks and preserving the security of the platforms.

The proactive action of Kraken It could serve as a model for other companies that face similar threats. Instead of a passive defense, adopting an active intelligence posture can make a difference between preventing a disaster or suffering millionaire losses.

Written article with the help of an AI content editor, edited by Angel Di Matteo / Diariobitcoin

Original image of Diariobitcoin, created with artificial intelligence, for free use, licensed under public domain.

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