The Insane World Of North Korean Hackers

in December 2016 hundreds of high school students from around the world gathered in Hong Kong for a global competition these students were the top math talents from their countries participating in one of the world's most prestigious events the mathematical Olympiad among them was a team from one of the world's most secretive and secluded countries North Korea six young men stepped forward dressed in white dress shirts and black pants with loyalty Badges of the Kims pinned over their hearts among them was Jong Yoli visibly more anxious than his peers while his teammates smiled Jong Yol kept

glancing to the side worried about something far more important than solving equations his freedom Jong Yul re's story starts in a small small town in North Korea a country where your social status and opportunities are often determined by your family's background and history Jong was lucky enough to be born into a relatively well-off family which meant he didn't face the extreme hardships many North Koreans endure families with ties to those who fought against Japan during World War II or have connections to the ruling party tend to have more privileges jong's father saw potential in him

and played an important role in supporting his Early Education unlike many children who are forced into hard manual labor or military training Jong had the rare chance to focus on academics particularly mathematics from a young age Jong showed a special talent with numbers his father would make him practice multiplication tables every single day before he could go play these early years paid off when Jong at just 12 years old won a special prize in a national mathematics competition beating much older students and catching the eye of top educational representatives in the North Korean regime North

Korea's education system is very strict with a strong focus on loyalty to the regime along with academic subjects however jong's amazing understanding of numbers and equations allowed him to pursue a more focused education in mathematics a rare path available only to a few gifted students because of his talents he was granted access to a laptop loaded with math programs to help with his training which is usually unheard of but this laptop was necessary to hone his skills despite the lack of Internet and frequent power outages Jong managed to keep his laptop charged using a solar

panel he built himself and in the winter he used a gasoline powerered generator jong's mathematical skill eventually got him selected for North Korea's team at the international mathematical Olympiad IMO a prestigious event that brings together the best young mathematicians from around the world the training process for the IMO in North Korea is intense because the country sees success in these types of international events as a matter of national pride Jong went through rigorous preparation spending long hours solving complex problems with the help of top mathematicians in the country this training was not just about improving

his math skills but also about building a sense of Duty and patriotism the regime puts immense pressure on its participants to not only succeed but win jong's first trip abroad was eye-opening traveling to Colombia for the IMO was a rare chance since it was his first time leing leaving North Korea the trip was full of new things from the brightly lit cities to the many cars there were things he had never seen before his team did great ranking fifth worldwide just behind China South Korea the US and Russia Jong himself won a silver medal which

was a big achievement but it wasn't enough for the North Korean regime which expected him to win gold because of the significant investment they made in him as Jong stood on the stage in Colombia his mind was racing North Korea had been pushing his training for years recognizing his talent and potential to contribute to the regime's goals but why was North Korea so interested in students like him Jong knew the regime wasn't pushing him for no reason Jong thought back to being given his laptop what did the regime gain from Minds like his these questions

filled jong's mind adding to his anxiety as he prepared to make a decision that could change his life forever Jong was facing an uncertain future with forces Beyond his control watching his every move but unlike Jong you can take control over one important part of your life your online privacy that's why we use private internet access the world's most transparent VPN private internet access is like a digital bodyguard standing between you and those trying to spy on your online activities with a VPN like Pia you can hide your IP address and encrypt your internet connection

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like Russia China and East Germany to learn coding at first this program aimed to make factories back home more efficient however in the 1980s and 1990s Kim Jong-il realized the potential of creating a team of hackers for the military this team was responsible for spying for the government and making money the Korea computer center was set up in the the early 1990s as the main place for North Korea's computer and cyber activities the KCC was part of Kim Jong 's larger plan to modernize the country's technology at first the KCC focused on creating software and

Hardware but it quickly expanded to include cyber warfare and hacking the KCC became a training ground for North Korea's top academic talents teaching them the skills needed for advanced cyber warfare Kim Jong-un who took over after his father decides to take the cyber division of the military even more seriously North Korea's economy has been hit hard by International sanctions because of its nuclear weapons program these sanctions have limited the country's ability to trade internationally and access Global Financial systems in response North Korea has turned to cyber crime as another way to to make money cyber

operations are a lowcost high-reward way to get around economic sanctions and get money the regime has managed to steal hundreds of millions of dollars through cyber attacks on banks cryptocurrency exchanges and businesses around the world North Korea has carried out several high-profile attacks that have caught Global News attention two of the most famous are the Sony Pictures hack in 2014 and the the Bangladesh bank heist in 2016 by building a strong cyber infrastructure and carrying out these different cyber attacks the regime has been able to make money to fund itself with the ongoing sanctions North

Korea is likely to continue its cyber attacks primarily through its notorious hacking group Lazarus the Lazarus group is a famous hacking group backed by the North Korean government training and deploying cyber Warriors who use the internet as their Battlefield Lazarus has been linked to some of the most significant cyber attacks in recent internet history they are well known for their revolutionary hacking techniques not to mention they have caused millions of dollars in financial losses worldwide the earliest known attack by the Lazarus group is called operation Troy which took place in 2009 this was a spying

operation that used dos attacks to Target the South Korean government the rise of the Lazarus group has led to a significant increase in cyber security Investments by both private companies and governments all over the world companies like Sony are now more Vigilant than ever hiring top-of-the-line cyber security analysts and using Advanced security protocols countries have started sharing intelligence about the North Korean cyber Warriors and collaborating on cyber security investigations to track and mitigate the group's activities for example the United States have imposed sanctions on individuals and companies linked to the Lazarus group one of the

most well-known members of the Lazarus group is Park chin hok a North Korean programmer charged by the US Department of Justice in 2018 he was accused of being involved in several major cyber attacks Park is thought to be a key figure in the Lazarus group and has been linked to the 2014 Sony Pictures hack and the 2016 Bangladesh bank heist the US government's charges against Park gave a detailed look into how the Lazarus group operates it explained how Park and his team used hacking methods like fishing emails malware and social engineering to break into their

targets the charges against Park were significant because it was one of the first times a specific individual was accused of carrying out attacks on behalf of North Korea despite the charges Park is still at large and is believed to be in North Korea Out Of Reach of US law enforcement his case shows just how difficult it is to bring North Korean hackers to Justice in North Korea the journey to becoming a cyber Warrior often begins at a very young age as we saw with Jang Yoli talented students are identified through Countrywide testing particularly in subjects

like math and science those who show above average scores are recruited into specialized programs where they receive extensive training in computer science and hacking techniques the training is intensive and very in-depth covering various aspects of cyber strategies including Network infiltration malware development and software development these young recruits are taught to see the internet as a battlefield where they can engage in cyber warfare to further the goals of the North Korean regime they spend countless hours honing their skills ensuring that they are prepared for the sophisticated cyber attacks they will later carry out the daily life

of a cyber warrior in North Korea is highly demanding and structured recruits live within facilities run by the state their routines are strict with the main part of their day being dedicated to coding computer science and penetration testing courses these cyber Warriors usually operate in teams each member specializing in different aspects of it so they can fulfill any Mission they are given they work long hours often isolated from the outside world with limited access to information from outside of North Korea the state provides them with the necessary tools and resources including top-of-the-line PCS and software

but their activities are closely monitored to ensure loyalty and prevent any leaks despite the intense pressure and work environment cyber Warriors are considered Elite members of society in North Korea they receive better food housing and other privileges compared to the general population this special treatment is a part of the regime's strategy to maintain their loyalty preventing defectors and dedication to their missions defecting from North Korea is extremely dangerous with the risks of being killed or captured so high a typical Escape usually starts by crossing the heavily guarded borders normally into China since the demilitarized zone

between North and South Korea is one of the most dangerous borders in the world North Korea has strict border controls that are riddled with landmines electric fences and guards who have orders to shoot on site once in China defectors still have to avoid being caught by the Chinese authorities who often send North Koreans back being sent back always means punishment beyond belief those who are found are persecuted with their family being sent to work camps to prevent people from defecting North Korea uses multiple tactics one of their main tactics is propaganda the regime portrays the

outside world especially South Korea and the United States as dangerous and hostile they glorify North Korean life and Leadership even though they are starving this propaganda is reinforced by strict control over information citizens have almost no access to foreign media and the internet State controlled media constant ly spread pro- regime narratives to maintain loyalty and fear of the outside world another deterrent is the threat of collective punishment if someone defects their family members who remain in North Korea often face severe consequences including imprisonment persecution or execution this guilt by association policy can extend to three

generations making it a powerful tool to control potential defectors travel within North Korea is also tightly controlled Citizens need permits to move between regions and international travel is relatively impossible for Ordinary People the regime also controls food distribution and jobs ensuring that citizens rely on the state for their basic needs surveillance in North Korea is pretty much everywhere you look secret police and informants are constantly monitoring the people C citizens are also encouraged and rewarded when reporting suspicious activities if you do attempt and escape and are captured public executions are not uncommon to remind everyone

what will happen if you try to get out despite all of this few North Koreans manag to defect each year for our friend Jong yri the answer became painfully clear after returning home from the 2015 mathematical Olympiad when he learned from a friend that senior figures from a secretive government agency were interviewing his close friends and relatives he instantly knew what was about to happen the state would harness his talent for numbers by giving him a job as a hacker this filled him with Dread working in one of the most guarded sections of the military

meant that he would be cut off from society and have no Freedom whatsoever he also realized that if he were instructed to join the Cyber Warriors he could not refuse Jong knew that he could only compete in the mathematical Olympiad until he was 18 years old which meant he could attend one more competition before being recruited the very next year at the 2016 mathematical Olympiad held at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Jong knew this was his last opportunity to get out since he was a competitor he he was not heavily supervised at the

competition and he was on friendly terms with the teachers who were accompanying the team after winning another silver medal that year Jong took his chance he walked out of the dorm where he was staying and hailed a cab to the airport where with the help of one of the airline workers he found the address of the South Korean consulate he took another taxi there and told a South Korean Diplomat that he wished to defect he then spent 70 days in Hong Kong waiting nervously while the South Korean delegation negotiated his safe passage to Soul after

jong's defection North Korea suspended its mathematical Olympiad program for 2 years and now sends a government agent with the team to ensure that nobody escapes Jong is now in his early 30s and goes by a South Korean name he studied mathematics at Soul National University he has still not seen his parents since he defected [Music]