When Cybersecurity Backfires: North Korean Hacker Dupes Anti-Phishing Firm

Hot Take:

When your cybersecurity company needs cybersecurity training, it might be time to re-evaluate your hiring process. Someone call Alanis Morissette, because this is the definition of ironic!

Key Points:

• KnowBe4, a cybersecurity firm, accidentally hired a North Korean hacker posing as a remote IT worker.
• The hacker passed four video interviews and background checks before receiving a company-issued computer.
• The hacker immediately began loading malware onto the computer, but no data was compromised.
• The FBI has warned about North Korean state actors infiltrating the US job market by posing as remote workers.
• KnowBe4 advises more rigorous vetting and continuous security monitoring to prevent such incidents.

Oops, We Did It Again

KnowBe4, the irony-laden cybersecurity firm, unknowingly hired a North Korean hacker pretending to be a remote IT worker. Despite passing multiple video interviews and background checks, the hacker’s true identity was revealed when their company-issued computer started downloading malware faster than you can say “phishing scam.” Founder and CEO Stu Sjouwerman shared this hilarious yet horrifying ordeal in a blog post, admitting the worker was a “fake IT worker from North Korea” using a stolen US-based identity and an AI-enhanced photo. You can’t make this stuff up!

Hack Attack

Although KnowBe4 claims that no illegal access was gained and no data was compromised, the hacker didn’t just sit around twiddling their thumbs. They manipulated session history files, transferred harmful files, and executed unauthorized software like a kid left alone in a candy store. This might be the ultimate plot twist for a company whose bread and butter is teaching employees to spot phishing attempts and security threats. It’s like hiring the fox to guard the henhouse, only the fox has a North Korean accent.

FBI to the Rescue

The FBI has been waving red flags about North Korean state actors infiltrating the US private sector as remote IT workers. According to a PSA, key indicators include the inability to appear on camera, requests for prepayment, and company-issued laptops being sent overseas. Earlier this year, five individuals were charged with helping North Korea’s nuclear weapons program by infiltrating the US job market. KnowBe4 suggests companies should vet references thoroughly and insist on video interviews. Basically, if someone seems camera-shy or insists on being paid upfront, maybe don’t hand them the keys to your digital kingdom.

Lessons Learned

This incident serves as a reality check, even for a cybersecurity awareness company. KnowBe4’s experience highlights the need for more robust vetting processes, continuous security monitoring, and better coordination between HR, IT, and security teams. Sjouwerman emphasized that this is a well-organized, state-sponsored criminal ring with extensive resources. Luckily, KnowBe4’s controls caught the breach, but it was a learning moment that Sjouwerman is eager to share.

Conclusion

In the end, even the experts can get bamboozled, proving that nobody is immune to cybersecurity threats. If it can happen to KnowBe4, it can happen to anyone. So, let’s all take a page from their playbook and step up our hiring and security game. Because if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that you never know when a “fake IT worker from North Korea” might come knocking on your virtual door.