FBI Investigating North Korean Hired by U.S. Government Agency

According to Federal News Network, FBI Deputy Assistant Director Todd Hemmen stated last month that the bureau had identified a North Korean remote IT staffer working for the U.S. government. Hemmen described the case as "baffling" and acknowledged that such remote IT workers are impacting the government sector, though a higher proportion are found in the private sector.

The specific U.S. agency affected and whether sensitive information was compromised remain unclear. This case follows previous instances where North Koreans have worked on U.S. government contracts using fraudulent identities. Last year, an individual was sentenced to 15 months in prison for facilitating such an arrangement with the Federal Aviation Administration.

In late July, South Korea, the U.S., Japan, and eight other countries issued a joint alert warning that North Korean IT workers pose an insider threat and are involved in activities such as data exfiltration and cryptocurrency theft.