Despite Sanctions, North Koreans Continue to Use Foreign Technology

Insikt Group assesses that, despite stringent sanctions, select North Koreans regularly access the global internet using foreign-made devices (Apple, Samsung, Huawei) and popular social platforms, increasingly relying on VPNs and proxies to obfuscate activity—signaling growing operational security awareness and the regime’s ability to procure technology via China and Russia. The report warns organizations to exercise due diligence over indirect markets that might route products to sanctioned entities and forecasts that these behaviors will persist amid weakened UN sanctions monitoring.