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North Korean IT workers have infiltrated the Fortune 500

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81–90 of 171 posts

Re: North Korean IT workers have infiltrated the Fortune 500

#81

A flagged post mentions this is racist and typical anti immigration rhetoric. That's not true, there are only two types of North Korean people you'll meet, either those that have defected and escaped North Korea or those that are agents of the state of North Korea. There are very few defectors in existence and once they escape they're given full South Korean citizenship. This article is not about those people. The va…

> A flagged post mentions this is racist and typical anti immigration rhetoric.

> That's not true, there are only two types of North Korean people you'll meet, [...]

Well I see a contradiction here.

Re: North Korean IT workers have infiltrated the Fortune 500

#82
post #75

A flagged post mentions this is racist and typical anti immigration rhetoric. That's not true, there are only two types of North Korean people you'll meet, either those that have defected and escaped North Korea or those that are agents of the state of North Korea. There are very few defectors in existence and once they escape they're given full South Korean citizenship. This article is not about those people. The va…

[flagged]

You cannot assume a Chinese person to be a Chinese state actor just for being Chinese. But you can assume a North Korean citizen to be a state actor as by definition he is only leagally allowed to be outside of North Korea as a state actor. Only exceptions are people who defected.

Re: North Korean IT workers have infiltrated the Fortune 500

#83

A flagged post mentions this is racist and typical anti immigration rhetoric. That's not true, there are only two types of North Korean people you'll meet, either those that have defected and escaped North Korea or those that are agents of the state of North Korea. There are very few defectors in existence and once they escape they're given full South Korean citizenship. This article is not about those people. The va…

Just to nitpick, there are North Korean defectors who are not South Korean citizens. For example, the U.S. has resettled North Korean defectors under the North Korean Human Rights Act of 2004: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Korean_Human_Rights_Act_...

Re: North Korean IT workers have infiltrated the Fortune 500

#84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lots of red flags in the paperwork combined with strange behavior and him accidentally connecting one time without a VPN. We're a startup so I don't think the end goal was to scam us per se but more to get money or more likely build credibility.

Everything I hear something like “to get money and more credibility”, I can’t help myself thinking of the Key and Peele sketch about robbing a bank: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceijkZQI1HM&pp=ygUZUm9iIGEgY...

Thats literally whats happening.

They aren’t “infiltrating”, they’re doing the work and building your products

Its the most benign thing ever and more akin to violating work authorization than IT security issues or economic sanctions

Re: North Korean IT workers have infiltrated the Fortune 500

#85

A flagged post mentions this is racist and typical anti immigration rhetoric. That's not true, there are only two types of North Korean people you'll meet, either those that have defected and escaped North Korea or those that are agents of the state of North Korea. There are very few defectors in existence and once they escape they're given full South Korean citizenship. This article is not about those people. The va…

[flagged]

Re: North Korean IT workers have infiltrated the Fortune 500

#86
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I love it. That’s genius. Though I wonder if they’d be a special exception: You can talk bad about Kim if American Evil Capitalists force you as long as you get in and bring in the dough. I am afraid they are a lot more cynical than we give them credit, though.

I wonder how effective the propaganda apparatus in inside North Korea really. And also… I wonder if there’s a bit of a gap of stuff that is, like, not something that a westerner would be aware of. Like if the person says “the carrot harvest was terrible last year and the uniforms are very itchy, it’s like he’s correctly but annoyingly prioritizing other things” they might be a spy. I mean that is a silly example but…

> I wonder how effective the propaganda apparatus in inside North Korea really.

Elites I am guessing can probably afford to be a bit cynical in private. And people interviewing at these companies are probably closer to being elites than peasants. But if they are monitored, showing any dislike or disloyalty in public is probably not something they can risk. Even if it means tricking the “dirty American capitalists”. There would have to be an unofficial nod from above “you can do it, just don’t overdoit”. Say “the harvest was bad” but say nothing about the uniform being itchy. Our dear leader sowed them with his own hands!

Re: North Korean IT workers have infiltrated the Fortune 500

#87
post #48
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t think that’s going to work for long. A typical defender/attacker dynamic at play.

Who is the attacker and who is the defender? Can the candidate be sure that the person asking that question isn’t secret police?

It’s not like the “candidate” is doing that on their own. They’re most likely part of some branch of the military with a chain of command, a bunch of reports to fill, etc. So doing that in a pre-approved way is not unimaginable. Because, if they can pull this off (and the Lazarus hacks) one thing they’re not is dumb.

Re: North Korean IT workers have infiltrated the Fortune 500

#88
post #26

A flagged post mentions this is racist and typical anti immigration rhetoric. That's not true, there are only two types of North Korean people you'll meet, either those that have defected and escaped North Korea or those that are agents of the state of North Korea. There are very few defectors in existence and once they escape they're given full South Korean citizenship. This article is not about those people. The va…

You're doing the racist rhetoric. There's no one in north korea that isn't "an agent of the state"? Give me a break. You sound ridiculous.

“North Korean” is not a race.

Whatever this is, it's not racism.

Re: North Korean IT workers have infiltrated the Fortune 500

#89

A flagged post mentions this is racist and typical anti immigration rhetoric. That's not true, there are only two types of North Korean people you'll meet, either those that have defected and escaped North Korea or those that are agents of the state of North Korea. There are very few defectors in existence and once they escape they're given full South Korean citizenship. This article is not about those people. The va…

What about Australia in comparison? Australians can be legally compelled in secret courts to install backdoors in the companies in which they are employed, and gagged from telling the company itself or any journalists (see the Access and Assistance Bill). That doesn't cross the same 'agents of the state' line?

Yeah this is true and a good point. As an Australian when the government passed that law it hurt so much, like a betrayal of enormous magnitude, it's disgusting.

I suppose one difference is that I can fight the government legally on the issue and am more free in many ways to resist, especially as I'm not employed by the state.

But I do agree, on the scale (0-1?) of how much your government can take away your liberty (when you haven't committed a crime) and compel you commit crimes, most western countries probably sit around 0.01 to 0.05 maybe, North Korea sits around 0.98 to 0.99 and Australia probably 0.4

Thanks for bringing that up, Australia seems to be the test state for how many draconian laws a "free" society will bare, and it is terrifying.

Re: North Korean IT workers have infiltrated the Fortune 500

#90

A flagged post mentions this is racist and typical anti immigration rhetoric. That's not true, there are only two types of North Korean people you'll meet, either those that have defected and escaped North Korea or those that are agents of the state of North Korea. There are very few defectors in existence and once they escape they're given full South Korean citizenship. This article is not about those people. The va…

[flagged]

It really becomes more and more obvious every day since January. It's tragic.
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