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Amazon Bars 1,800 North Koreans from Remote Jobs over Cybersecurity Risks

Cyber Security

The Business Honor: Amazon Bars North Koreans

Business Honor
29 December, 2025

Move highlights growing concerns over DPRK-linked cyber threats and illicit IT operations.

Amazon has banned over 1,800 citizens of the DPRK from pursuing remote employment opportunities, owing to serious cybersecurity and national security threats. The development is proof of the increasing concerns that the DPRK is deriving illegal income through foreign IT professionals for use in operating the state. This has been revealed by the Chief Security Officer of Amazon, Stephen Schmidt, on the company’s LinkedIn page. Schmidt states that many North Korean job seekers have been trying to apply for IT jobs on a remote work basis with companies from all over the world. This includes the U.S., where the resumes from North Korea saw a shockingly high rise of a third in the last year.

One of the tactics employed by these agents is the concept known as “laptop farms.” These are computers that are physically set up inside the US but are controlled remotely from outside the US. This way, an individual is able to seem as though they are located domestically when, in fact, this is not the case. Schmidt emphasized that this issue is not limited to Amazon and is likely affecting many technology companies. The concern is nothing new, however. Earlier this year, a woman from Arizona was sentenced to eight years in prison for running a laptop farm that helped North Korean IT workers to get remote jobs at more than 300 US companies, generating more than $17 million in illegal revenue.

According to cybersecurity experts, North Korea has made heavy investments in its cyber capabilities for decades, and its Bureau 121 cyber unit operates in multiple countries. The US has recently imposed sanctions on individuals connected to state-backed hacking attempts, pointing a finger at North Korea-aligned groups for the theft of billions of dollars, mainly through cryptocurrency theft. In this light, Amazon's move underpins the growing need for better cybersecurity screening in the global remote workforce.