Chinese firms are running an elaborate scheme to help North Korean IT workers infiltrate Western businesses. Around 35 China-based companies, including Liaoning China Trade Industry Co., provide cover operations and equipment while pretending to deal in textiles and electronics. These workers aren’t just coders – they’re cyber warriors stealing data, launching ransomware attacks, and manipulating crypto markets. Fortune 500 companies are prime targets, though they’d rather not admit it. The full scope of this operation goes deeper than most realize.
How are North Korean IT workers managing to infiltrate Western companies and steal sensitive data?
The answer lies with Chinese front companies – lots of them.
A network of 35 China-based firms is helping North Korean tech workers sneak into Western businesses, and they’re doing it right under everyone’s noses.
At the center of this mess is Liaoning China Trade Industry Co., a U.S.-sanctioned company with a knack for shipping IT equipment to North Korean government agencies.
They’re not alone.
Companies like Dandong Deyun Trading, Guangzhou Aiyixi Trading, and Yongping Zhuoren Mining are all playing their part in this elaborate charade.
Sure, they claim to sell textiles, electronics, and minerals – but their real business?
Helping North Korean operatives blend in.
The partnership gained momentum after Kim Jong Un’s visit to China in 2018.
These workers aren’t just coding harmless apps.
North Korean IT operatives are sophisticated cyberwarriors, infiltrating systems and orchestrating attacks under the guise of routine programming work.
They’re launching ransomware attacks, manipulating cryptocurrency markets, and stealing intellectual property faster than you can say “cybersecurity breach.”
And the equipment they’re using?
Straight from Chinese suppliers – everything from laptops to graphics cards, courtesy of companies like Liaoning China Trade.
The dark web marketplace serves as their platform for selling stolen sensitive information.
The scale of this problem is staggering.
Nearly every Fortune 500 company has faced infiltration attempts.
Eight of the top ten rely on Strider Technologies just to keep these cyber intruders at bay.
But here’s the kicker – most companies won’t even talk about it.
Too embarrassed, perhaps?
Or maybe they’re just terrified of law enforcement complications.
The consequences are serious.
Companies accidentally hiring these workers aren’t just risking sanctions violations – they’re potentially letting North Korean operatives walk right through their digital front door.
These aren’t your average software developers.
They’re skilled operators who can slip malicious code into commercial software and funnel sensitive data back to their government masters.
And thanks to their Chinese corporate enablers, they’re getting harder to spot every day.
