N. Korean IT warriors pose as freelancers to infiltrate Europe firms

Move said to generate revenue for govt, which takes up to 90% of wages earned

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SEOUL - North Korean information technology workers are increasingly posing as remote freelancers from other countries to infiltrate companies in Europe, putting organisations at risk of espionage, data theft and disruption, a report says.

The workers, who refer to themselves as "warriors", secure roles at companies to generate revenue for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, according to research by Google Threat Intelligence Group.

Google researchers worked with partners to identify an increase in active operations outside the US by these so-called IT warriors over the past six months.

Countries targeted include Germany, Britain and Portugal, according to a blog post by Dr Jamie Collier, lead adviser for Europe at the Google unit.

North Korean IT workers have historically focused on infiltrating companies in the US. While American jobs remain a major target, an increased awareness of the threat, along with sanctions and indictments from the Department of Justice, have pushed operations to other countries, particularly in Europe.