Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong disclosed that North Korean hackers have been attempting to infiltrate the exchange through its remote work policies. Armstrong explained in a podcast interview that these operatives, from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), are seeking remote positions at Coinbase with the intention of accessing sensitive systems. He stated: “DPRK is very interested in stealing crypto. It feels like there are 500 new people graduating every quarter from some kind of school they have, and that’s their whole job.”. In response to this threat, Coinbase is implementing stricter security measures, including mandatory in-person training within the United States and restricting system access to U.S. citizens undergoing fingerprint checks. The company also confirmed previous reports detailing how North Korean state-backed groups infiltrated crypto startups as freelancers earlier this year, resulting in a theft of approximately $900,000 from those companies. This recent development follows a significant data breach at Coinbase in May 2023 that affected less than 1% of its users. The breach was attributed to a group of customer support agents who were hired through third-party vendors and subsequently bribed to gain access to internal systems. The attackers had demanded $20 million in Bitcoin to prevent the publication of stolen user data, which Coinbase refused to pay. Coinbase has also been targeted in numerous phishing scams, becoming the most impersonated U.S. crypto brand last year. This underscores the continued threat posed by North Korean hackers targeting the cryptocurrency industry.