The North Korean threat in the crypto industry is more serious than anticipated

According to Pablo Sabbatella of Security Alliance (SEAL), North Korea’s infiltration into the crypto industry is much more severe than people realize. He stated that North Korean agents have infiltrated 15%–20% of global crypto companies through remote work positions.

Sabbatella also warned that 30%–40% of job applications at crypto companies actually come from North Korean actors using international “cover” identities and remote access systems to pose as US-based personnel. The main reason is that the crypto industry has extremely weak operational security. He emphasized that this is “the worst OPSEC environment in the entire computer industry,” making founders and internal teams easy targets for phishing attacks and malware.