Ep. 6: The North Korea Model

North Korea has now successfully planted agents in companies over the world. And while businesses are getting better at flagging it, North Koreans still have to meet quota. Cybersecurity experts fear North Koreans will move to monetize their access, and data, beyond the paycheck. That data North Korean IT workers took, the source code they stole — even built in some cases — will come back to haunt these organizations. And it’s not just North Korea anymore. The remote IT worker scheme is now a playbook of its own: Cybercriminals and other nation states have adopted it, some with a reputation for far more destructive attacks.In this final episode, host and former New York Times cybersecurity reporter Nicole Perlroth also confronts how AI is leveling the playing field, and what it means that the one capability that has long eluded North Korea’s hackers — autonomous exploitation — is now within reach.To Catch a Thief is co-produced by Nicole Perlroth and Rubrik in partnership with Pod People.To Catch a Thief was written and produced by Nicole Perlroth, along with Khrista Rypl, T. J. Raphael, Rebecca Chaisson and Sam Gebauer. Additional thanks to Allie Pinel, Fendall Fulton, Krissy Clark, Cai Lee, Eunice Park and Aimee Machado. Editing and Sound Design by Erica Huang. Art direction and design by Ben Long, Gareth Strange and Sarah Burley at the John & Jane Agency, and support from John Leestma.