In the world of cyber security, we often discuss sophisticated malware, zero-day exploits, and complex social engineering. However, sometimes the most effective way to identify a high-level threat is through something as simple and unchangeable as the laws of physics.
Recently, as reported by Bloomberg and Tom’s Hardware, Amazon revealed a fascinating case where they identified and expelled an operative from North Korea who had successfully secured a role within their IT department. The “smoking gun” was not a piece of malicious code, but a tiny, consistent delay in the worker’s typing speed.
The 110ms “Tell”
The individual appeared to be a standard remote worker hired through an outside contractor and supposedly based in Arizona, USA. However, Amazon’s security telemetry began to pick up a subtle anomaly. While a domestic worker’s keystrokes should typically register on a corporate network within tens of milliseconds, this particular employee’s input showed a persistent, robotic lag of over 110 milliseconds.
This specific delay was not just a result of a “bad connection”. It was a byproduct of a “laptop farm” infrastructure. The operative was actually located halfway across the world, likely in North Korea or China, and was remotely controlling a laptop physically sitting in an Arizona living room. The signal had to travel across multiple tunnels and virtual private networks (VPNs), creating a latency footprint that simply could not be faked.
A Growing Global Trend
This incident is not an isolated event. It is part of a broader, state-sponsored scheme where North Korean IT workers use stolen or synthetic identities to gain high-paying remote roles in Western companies. Their goal is primarily financial: directing wages back to their regime to fund weapons programs and bypass international sanctions.
Amazon Chief Security Officer Stephen Schmidt reported that the company has foiled more than 1,800 similar hiring attempts since April 2024 alone. These infiltrators are technically proficient and often pass background checks and video interviews using high-quality stolen identities, AI-assisted techniques, or even deepfakes.
Red Flags for Your Hiring Process
As remote work remains a staple of the modern economy, businesses must stay vigilant. This case highlights several red flags that could indicate a potential infiltration:
- Keystroke Latency: Using security monitoring to identify unusual input delays or “robotic” typing rhythms that do not match the expected physical location.
- Linguistic Nuances: Identifying a struggle with cultural nuances, local idioms, or unusual grammar patterns—such as incorrect use of articles like “a” and “the”—during real-time communication.
- Hardware Discrepancies: Requests to send company laptops to addresses that do not match identification documents or are known mail-forwarding services.
- Remote Management Tools: The presence of unauthorised remote access software (e.g., AnyDesk or TeamViewer) on corporate devices intended for local use.
Strengthening Your Defences
While remote hiring is becoming more common and the threats are becoming more sophisticated, your organisation can still take proactive steps to enhance its security posture:
- Consider Advanced Vetting: Go beyond standard LinkedIn scans by using thorough background checks that validate international education and employment history.
- Implement Endpoint Monitoring: Quality security software is key to detecting small warning signs, such as the use of remote control tools or geolocation mismatches.
- Enforce Live Protocols: Requiring cameras and physical identity verification during all interviews and onboarding sessions can help verify that the candidate matches their provided documentation.
- Geolocate Corporate Hardware: Confirm that company-issued laptops are actually located where the employee claims to reside.
The Amazon case is a textbook example of “active hunting”. By looking for anomalies in baseline data, they caught a threat that traditional security might have missed.
If you are concerned about your remote hiring practices, contact the expert team at Vertex.