North Korea’s IT operations bear striking similarities to a mafia syndicate, where skilled tech workers are coerced into contributing nearly all their salaries to fund the regime’s nuclear ambitions. This analysis reveals how the government pits workers against each other, not just in competition for wealth, but for survival.
Key Points
- North Korean IT workers are structured like a mafia, contributing salaries to Kim Jong Un’s nuclear programme.
- Workers face strict competition, with some risking their lives to meet financial quotas.
- Cyber operations generate significant revenue through extortion, financial fraud, and tracking stolen identities.
- Trained operatives are nurtured from childhood for careers in cyber operations, attending elite military schools.
- The structure involves a ‘bro network’ where collaboration exists, but competition remains fierce.
Why should I read this?
If you want a glimpse into one of the most bizarre and dangerous organisational structures in the world, this article is a must-read. It sheds light on how North Korea has taken the idea of an IT workforce to a whole other level, resembling a criminal syndicate more than a state-run operation. Knowing this helps us understand global cybersecurity threats and the lengths to which regimes like North Korea will go to fund their agendas.