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He Thought an Employee Stole Crypto. The FBI Says It Was a North Korean Scammer.

By Kim S. Nash

 

Hello. At first, Pemba Sherpa seemed like a great employee. Eager to work, he began as a $35-an-hour coder who sharpened up an app for his boss, Marlon Williams. But a few years later, Williams fired him, thinking he was probably a crook.

On Monday, federal authorities accused him of being something even more nefarious. According to court filings and cyber investigators, the man claiming to be Sherpa was actually Kim Kwang Jin, a North Korean cybercriminal using a stolen identity. Read more from WSJ.

More news below.

 

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More Cyber News

PHOTO: MATTIE NERETIN/ZUMA PRESS

Big, beautiful AI regulation? As the U.S. Senate works through revisions of President Trump's megabill, GOP Sens. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Ted Cruz of Texas have tweaked the AI provision. States would be banned from regulating the tech for five years, rather than 10. States that enforce AI laws wouldn't be able to get funds from a $500 million pool marked for AI infrastructure. (Reuters)

Kentucky bank battles hack. The regional Monticello Banking Co. warned customers that banking via the web and app are unavailable as the company deals with a cyberattack. Daily debit-card purchases are limited to $500. Customers can access their funds with checks or in person at branches, Monticello said. 

The International Criminal Court said Monday it late last week had identified and contained a targeted "cybersecurity incident," the second such attack in two years. 

  • The court is based in The Hague, which last week hosted world leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump for a summit of the 32 members of the NATO military alliance. (Barron's)

Germany wants DeepSeek booted from app stores. The Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection asked Apple and Google to remove the Chinese AI app from its stores, citing violations of Europe's strict privacy laws. The regulator accused DeepSeek's parent of collecting data about German residents without consent and sending it to China. (Bleeping Computer)

Some Marks & Spencer customers who received a gift card from the U.K. retailer wondered on social media if the unexpected email was a scam. Marks & Spencer offered the cards to thank customers for patience during a recent hack that knocked out online shopping. (The Grocer)

Ireland plans to conduct its census online for the first time in 2027 and is testing a Captcha service as a way to keep bots out. (Irish Examiner)

 

About Us

The WSJ Pro Cybersecurity team is Deputy Bureau Chief Kim S. Nash and reporters Angus Loten, James Rundle and Catherine Stupp. Follow us on X @WSJCyber. Reach the team by replying to any newsletter you receive or by emailing Kim at kim.nash@wsj.com.

 
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