The bestselling author and cybersecurity expert exposes alarming truths about the global network of North Korean operatives who have infiltrated Western payrolls
Rubrik , the Security and AI Operations Company, announced the launch of season two of its award-winning documentary podcast, “To Catch a Thief: North Koreans On Our Payroll.” Based on exclusive reporting by Nicole Perlroth, bestselling author and former lead cybersecurity reporter for The New York Times, the series exposes a global labor pipeline infiltrated by North Korea—one that is quietly funneling hundreds of millions of dollars a year back to the regime, and its nuclear weapons program.
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Reported over the last year, “To Catch a Thief” builds on the success of season one about Chinese hacking, which became a top five Apple documentary podcast. In the new season, Perlroth pivots to the urgent security threats North Korea represents . She takes listeners deep into their hidden network—from a rare, inside look at a North Korean IT worker on the job, to interviews with defectors who escaped it, to knocking on the doors of unknowing citizens hosting “laptop farms” on North Korea’s behalf.
“We are witnessing a complete subversion of trust,” said Perlroth. “Hackers are no longer trying to break through your firewall. They are logging in as your employees, collecting paychecks, and actively exfiltrating sensitive data from the inside-out. Our second series exposes how this pipeline operates and what it means for global security.”
Inside the Global IT Worker Pipeline Threat
The five-part investigative documentary takes listeners inside this hidden ecosystem, from the initial deceptive hiring process to the domestic networks that facilitate it. The season spotlights:
- Deceptive Employment Tactics: How operatives bypass hiring protocols, turn off video during calls, and present fabricated resumes to secure corporate positions.
- On-the-Ground Investigations: An inside look at the domestic facilitators, known as laptop farms, which operate within Western borders to host physical hardware for remote international workers.
- Organized Cybercrime Convergence: How this nation-state playbook is being adopted by cybercriminal groups and fraud networks globally, impacting the job market for legitimate remote workers.
“Rubrik leads important conversations about the future of cybersecurity, cyber resilience, and the increasing risk that AI presents for all forms of attack, nation states and more,” said Julia Lee, Chief Strategy Officer, Rubrik. “From podcasts with Nicole to the original research of our Rubrik Zero Labs, we share an urgency and commitment to document when, why, and how cyber attacks happen, and how our industry must work together, and be preemptive to plan for recovery and resilience on all fronts.”
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