Microsoft warned Friday that North Korean operatives are increasingly using artificial intelligence tools to pose as Western job applicants and obtain remote technology positions, allowing them to funnel salaries and access to corporate systems back to Pyongyang.
According to the company, the operation relies on fabricated or stolen identities that are used to apply for software development and IT positions at companies in Western countries.
Microsoft said the individuals involved rely on AI-generated images to create professional headshots, develop believable Western-sounding names and email addresses, and customize job applications to match specific postings. During job interviews, the company reported that some applicants employ voice-modification technology to disguise their accents.
The company also said the operatives continue using artificial intelligence after being hired, relying on it to draft emails, translate documents, and produce code while attempting to avoid suspicion. One network of North Korean operatives tracked by Microsoft under the name Jasper Sleet, the company said, “leverages AI across the attack lifecycle to get hired, stay hired, and misuse access at scale.”
Officials say the scheme is significant because it has evolved from simple payroll fraud into a broader security concern for companies.
U.S. authorities have previously said North Korean remote IT worker operations depend on stolen or falsified identities, facilitators located in the United States, and so-called laptop farms that allow workers located overseas to appear as though they are operating computers inside the United States.
In June 2025, the Justice Department said the schemes had infiltrated more than 100 American companies. The FBI has also warned that in some cases the workers have taken sensitive corporate data or attempted to extort companies using the information.
Microsoft said it shut down roughly 3,000 Outlook and Hotmail accounts last year that were connected to fraudulent North Korean IT worker operations.
The company advised employers to take additional precautions during hiring, including conducting interviews via video or in person and watching for potential signs of manipulated images such as irregularities around faces, eyes, ears, or glasses.
Federal investigators have issued similar recommendations, urging companies to strengthen identity verification procedures, closely examine employment histories, and carefully review remote hiring practices.
Upwork, one of the online job platforms mentioned as a site where software and IT roles are often posted, said it actively works to identify and remove fraudulent users from its marketplace.
{Matzav.com}
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said Friday that gasoline prices could begin declining within a matter of weeks despite a recent surge tied to the escalating conflict with Iran, arguing that the disruption affecting global oil markets will likely prove temporary.
Speaking in an interview, Wright blamed Iran’s leadership for decades of volatility in energy markets. “Look, Iran’s been an escalator of energy prices [for] 47 years, the whole history of their regime,” Wright said.
He added that the current turmoil reflects a short-term disruption tied to efforts to stop Tehran’s actions in the region. “We got a little bit of an interruption right now to finally put an end to their ability to wreak havoc, to kill Americans, and to terrorize their neighbors.”
Wright’s comments came as global energy markets reacted to a sharp rise in oil and gasoline prices following U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iranian targets and Iran’s efforts to interfere with shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
The strategic waterway is considered one of the most critical oil transit routes in the world.
The narrow passage links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and typically carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s petroleum liquids supply.
Because of its importance, any threat to vessels moving through the strait raises immediate concerns in global markets and among American drivers monitoring fuel prices.
According to AAA, the national average cost of regular gasoline reached $3.32 per gallon on Friday, compared with $2.98 just one week earlier, as crude oil prices climbed and traders assessed the possibility of extended supply disruptions.
Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis, cautioned that prolonged interference with shipping could significantly worsen the situation.
“That means millions of barrels of oil that would normally flow to global markets simply aren’t reaching buyers,” De Haan said.
“Every additional day [of] the disruption continues compounds the problem. Even if the Strait reopened immediately, the market would still face the challenge of catching up on days’ worth of missing shipments — an increasingly difficult task as the backlog grows.”
Market analysts have warned that if the Strait of Hormuz were to remain closed or severely restricted for an extended period, oil prices could rise substantially, increasing inflationary pressures and potentially creating political challenges in Washington after several months during which fuel costs had remained below levels seen throughout much of 2024 and early 2025.
President Donald Trump, who emphasized reducing energy costs during his 2024 campaign, dismissed concerns Thursday about a long-term increase in gasoline prices.
“I don’t have any concern about it,” Trump told Reuters.
“They’ll drop very rapidly when this is over, and if they rise, they rise, but this is far more important than having gasoline prices go up a little bit.”
Administration officials have said that military and naval actions currently underway are intended in part to stabilize energy markets, though investors are closely watching how long the conflict continues and whether commercial shipping can safely move through the Gulf.
Wright expressed confidence that markets will rebalance more quickly than many consumers expect.
He said the period before prices begin to decline will likely be measured in weeks rather than months.
For American drivers, however, the direction of gasoline prices will likely depend less on domestic demand and more on developments in the Middle East.
Shipping routes, refinery output, and oil export flows are expected to determine fuel price movements from day to day.
{Matzav.com}
Two shuls in Toronto, Canada, were struck by gunfire overnight in separate incidents that are now under investigation by local authorities.
The buildings hit were identified as the BAYT and Shaarei Shomayim shuls.
Police in Toronto and the neighboring York Region reported on social media that shots were fired at the two houses of worship around midnight. Authorities said that while bullets struck the buildings, no one was injured in either incident.
In a message posted on X, Toronto police acknowledged the fear such attacks create within the community. “We recognize that incidents like this are deeply concerning for members of the Jewish community. Synagogues in both Toronto and York region have been struck by gunfire this week,” the department said, noting that additional police presence has been deployed in Jewish neighborhoods throughout the area.
Jewish communities across Canada have experienced a sharp rise in antisemitic attacks in recent years. Incidents have included shootings and firebombings targeting Jewish institutions and community buildings.
Another shooting incident occurred earlier in the week when a shul was targeted on Tuesday. The attack took place shortly after the building had hosted Purim celebrations, with some individuals still present inside at the time.
Conservative opposition leader Pierre Poilevre reacted strongly to the latest incidents, saying he was “appalled” by the Friday night shootings at the Shaarei Shomayim and Beth Avraham Yoseph shuls and warning that the Jewish community “is under attack in Canada.”
According to CBC, police had already stepped up patrols and increased their presence across the greater Toronto area earlier this week due to heightened tensions connected to the ongoing war in the Middle East.
{Matzav.com}
