#Web application development London

[geeconglobal]

Key Strategies for Successful Software Development for Startups in London

Starting a tech company in London sparks excitement. The city’s vibrant software development for startups London scene is a goldmine for innovation and growth. But building software that stands out? That’s a different story. It takes careful planning, smart choices, and a flexible approach. This article will guide you through proven strategies to succeed in software development, helping your startup thrive in London’s competitive market.

Understanding the Unique Needs of London Startups

The London Startup Ecosystem

London isn’t just a big city; it’s a hub for tech startups. The city boasts a strong investment climate, with millions pouring into new ideas each year. The talent pool is rich—many skilled developers, designers, and entrepreneurs call London home. According to recent reports, London boasts over 40,000 tech companies, fueling a thriving startup environment. Investors are eager to fund promising ideas, making the city a magnet for entrepreneurs.

Challenges Faced by Startups

Despite these advantages, startups face hurdles. Budgets tend to be tight, often limited by early-stage funding. You’ll likely juggle deadlines while trying to develop quality software. Navigating UK regulations, especially around data and privacy laws, adds complexity. Standing out in a crowded market also means your software needs to be innovative and different from what’s already out there.

Tailoring Software Development Strategies

Every startup is unique. Your development plans should match your business goals. It makes sense to build software that reflects the needs of software development for startups London local market and customer habits. Whether you’re serving Londoners or targeting global users, your strategy must adapt to regional preferences and legal requirements.

Planning and Validating Your Software Idea

Conducting Market Research and Competitive Analysis

Begin by digging into data. Find out what users want and what competitors lack. Research can reveal gaps that your software can fill. Learn from London startups that have tested the waters successfully, such as those that launched MVPs and adjusted quickly based on user feedback.

Defining Clear Objectives and KPIs

Set goals you can measure. Whether it’s growing user base, increasing sales, or improving app speed, your goals should align with your bigger business plans. Use tools like OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) or KPIs to stay on track. Clear targets keep your team focused and motivated.

Building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

Don’t spend months perfecting a product. Focus on creating an MVP that shows your core idea. This allows you to test with real users and make improvements fast. Many London startups, including finance or health tech firms, started with MVPs before scaling.

Assembling a High-Performance Development Team

In-House vs. Outsourced Development

Having your own team sounds ideal, but outsourcing can be a smart move too. Office teams give you control, but outsourcing can save money and provide access to specialized skills. software development for startups London offers great options for hiring full-time developers or working with trusted agencies.

Finding and Hiring Top Talent

Recruiting skilled developers and designers isn’t easy. Use local platforms like LinkedIn, AngelList, or Tech London Advocates to meet talented professionals. Attend networking events, hackathons, and tech meetups to connect with potential teammates.

Collaborating with Experienced Tech Partners

Partnering with a reliable tech agency can boost your project. Look for firms with good reviews and relevant experience. Many startups team up with local accelerators like TechStars London or London & Partners—these can connect you with the right tech experts and resources.

Implementing Agile Development Methodologies

Benefits of Agile for Startup Flexibility

Agile makes quicker changes possible. Instead of waiting months for a full release, you get to test small parts often. This helps you respond to customer feedback fast. Agile also boosts transparency, so everyone stays on the same page.

Popular Agile Frameworks

Scrum, Kanban, and Lean are common choices. Scrum works well for projects needing regular sprints and reviews. Kanban suits teams that prefer visual workflows. Choose what fits your team best, but don’t be afraid to adapt.

Tools for Effective Agile Management

Use tools like Jira, Trello, or Asana to stay organized. These platforms help track progress and plan sprints. Many software development for startups London have reported success using such tools to keep their projects flexible and transparent.

Ensuring Quality, Security, and Compliance

Best Practices for Quality Assurance

Testing continuously is key. Use automated tests to catch bugs early. Collect user feedback during beta testing to find out what works and what doesn’t before full launch.

Addressing Security Concerns

Security isn’t optional; it’s critical. Implement strong passwords, encryption, and secure hosting. London startups often work within data laws like GDPR, meaning they must protect user information at all costs.

Regulatory Compliance and Legal Considerations

Follow UK and EU data rules closely. Make sure your app and data handling meet GDPR standards. Also, clarify IP rights with developers and partners to prevent legal issues later on.

Scaling Your Software Solution in London

Planning for Scalability from Day One

Build your app with growth in mind. Use cloud hosting like AWS or Azure for easy expansion. Consider microservices architecture to add new features without disrupting existing ones.

Utilizing Local Support and Resources

software development for startups London offers plenty of support options, such as accelerators, incubators, and government grants. Attending tech events and investor meetups can open doors. Levelling up in these spaces gives your startup a leg up.

Monitoring and Continuous Improvement

Don’t set and forget. Use analytics tools to track how users interact with your app. Regular updates based on real data let you improve gradually and stay competitive.

Conclusion

Building a successful software development for startups London with understanding the local scene. Carefully plan your project, develop iteratively, and prioritize quality and security. Think ahead about scalable architecture that grows with your business. Building the right team, both in-house and through reliable partners, is vital. Stay flexible with agile methods, and never stop learning. These strategies will help your startup succeed.

Call to Action

Use London’s resources wisely. Connect with local experts, attend events, and keep your skills sharp. The key to growth is continuous learning and quick adaptation. Your next big success might be just a smart strategy away. Focus on building a versatile team, stay agile, and position your software development for startups London vibrant tech scene.

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[cresolinfoserv]

Best Web design & development Company in London UK

A leading Website Design & Development, Testing Service, Digital Marketing company. Additionally, We offer App development, E- Commerce, Logo designing, Web Hosting.

[charile0]

Why Hire a Laravel Development Agency for Your Next Web Project

Laravel has rapidly become one of the most popular PHP frameworks for building robust, scalable web applications. Whether you're a startup or an established business, Laravel development offers powerful tools that streamline the development process and help create dynamic websites and applications. If you’re based in the UK and looking for top-quality Laravel web development, working with a dedicated Laravel development agency can give your project the edge it needs.

A Laravel development agency brings together a team of skilled professionals who specialize in creating sophisticated web applications using the Laravel framework. From Laravel web application development to Laravel local development, an agency can guide you through each stage of the process, ensuring that your website or app is built to your specific needs. Whether you need a Laravel web development service to build a custom platform or integrate advanced features, agencies offer tailored solutions that meet your business goals.

By partnering with top Laravel developers or a top Laravel development agency, you can ensure that your project is in good hands. These experts bring years of experience and in-depth knowledge of the framework, allowing them to tackle complex challenges and deliver high-performing, secure applications.

If you’re looking to hire Laravel developers for your project, a Laravel web development agency is an excellent choice. With their comprehensive understanding of Laravel web development best practices, these agencies can create scalable, maintainable solutions that provide long-term value. Additionally, agencies often offer ongoing support and maintenance, ensuring that your application remains up-to-date and fully optimized.

If you’re ready to take the next step in building your web application, hire Laravel developers from a trusted agency in the UK, such as those featured on platforms like hireprogrammer UK, to ensure a seamless, successful development journey.

[mobcoderr]

Best web app development services in London

Mobcoder provides cutting-edge solutions that are customized to meet your business goals and is the top web app development company in London. Developing dynamic, user-friendly web applications that improve functionality and user engagement is our team's area of expertise as developers and designers. With an emphasis on quality and innovation, Mobcoder guarantees a smooth development process from the very beginning to deployment and maintenance. For excellent web app development and to improve your online visibility, work with Mobcoder.

Read More - https://mobcoder.com/top-mobile-app-development-company-in-london/

[bespokesoftwaredevelopment-blog]

Understand the Progressive Web Apps and its Benefits

Progressive web apps are the latest entrant in the world of mobile & web development. It is relatively the new concept which is growing rapidly and lets the user experience your brand, product and services.

Ficode, leading web development company in London has realized the importance of PWA and offers excellent high-quality web development services to our clients. We help our clients with smart progressive mobile apps that are adaptive across various devices & high connectivity independent applications.

[apptechmobilesolutions]

Revolutionize Healthcare with Our Cutting-Edge Healthcare Application Development Services

In today's rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, technology is driving transformative changes that have the potential to enhance patient care, streamline processes, and improve overall healthcare outcomes. At Apptech Mobile Solution PVT. Ltd. we specialize in healthcare application development services that empower medical professionals, patients, and healthcare organizations to embrace the future of healthcare delivery.

Why Choose Apptech Mobile Solution PVT. Ltd.

Expertise in Healthcare Technology: Our team of experienced developers and healthcare experts understands the unique challenges and opportunities within the healthcare industry. We are well-versed in compliance standards, interoperability, and security protocols, ensuring that your healthcare application adheres to the highest industry standards.

Custom Solutions for Every Need: We recognize that each healthcare organization has distinct requirements. Whether you're a hospital seeking an electronic health record (EHR) system, a telemedicine platform, a wellness app, or any other healthcare solution, we are equipped to design and develop a bespoke application tailored to your specific needs.

User-Centric Design: We prioritize user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design in our development process. Our applications are intuitive, user-friendly, and designed to enhance engagement for both medical professionals and patients, ultimately leading to improved outcomes.

Seamless Integration: Our applications are designed to seamlessly integrate with existing healthcare systems, ensuring a smooth transition and minimal disruption to your operations. We focus on interoperability to create a unified healthcare ecosystem that enhances collaboration and communication.

Data Security and Compliance: We understand the critical importance of data security and compliance in healthcare. Our development process prioritizes the implementation of robust security measures and adherence to regulatory standards such as HIPAA, GDPR, and more.

Scalability and Future-Readiness: As healthcare technology continues to evolve, your application must be adaptable and scalable. Our solutions are built with scalability in mind, ensuring that your application can grow alongside your organization's needs.

Our Healthcare Application Development Services:

Electronic Health Records (EHR) Systems: Streamline patient data management, appointments, prescriptions, and more with our comprehensive EHR systems.

Telemedicine Platforms: Embrace the future of healthcare delivery with secure and user-friendly telemedicine applications, enabling virtual consultations and remote patient monitoring.

Wellness and Fitness Apps: Empower patients to take control of their health with wellness and fitness applications that offer personalized guidance, tracking, and motivation.

Medical Billing and Claims Solutions: Simplify billing processes and claims management for healthcare providers, reducing administrative burdens and enhancing revenue cycle management.

Healthcare Analytics: Leverage the power of data with advanced analytics tools that provide actionable insights for better decision-making and improved patient care.

Join Us in Shaping the Future of Healthcare!

We are committed to leveraging technology to create positive and lasting impacts on the healthcare industry. Collaborate with us to develop a state-of-the-art healthcare application that enhances patient care, optimizes operations, and contributes to a healthier world. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and embark on a transformative healthcare journey together.

[viniboomin]

We specialize in web application development using Laravel and offer hybrid app development services. Let us help you create progressive web applications in London and throughout the UK.

[harrey22]

Boost Your Online Presence with Professional PHP Development Services

In the current digital era, businesses of all sizes must have a strong online presence. With the majority of consumers relying on the internet to search for products and services, it's essential to make a lasting impression with a well-designed and functional website. This is where professional PHP development services come into play. PHP, which stands for Hypertext Preprocessor, is a powerful scripting language widely used for web development. Leveraging the expertise of a custom PHP web development company can significantly enhance your online presence and drive success for your business. 

Here are the key benefits of utilizing PHP development services:

1. Robust and Scalable Websites: 

PHP is known for its ability to build robust and scalable websites. With its extensive library of frameworks and tools, PHP enables developers to create dynamic websites that can handle high volumes of traffic and complex functionalities. A professional PHP development team can leverage these capabilities to build a website that looks great and performs optimally, even during peak periods.

2. Customization and Flexibility: 

PHP offers great flexibility when it comes to customization. A PHP web development firm can customize your website to fit your business needs and branding principles. Whether you need an e-commerce platform, a content management system, or a web application, PHP can be customized to suit your specific needs. This flexibility ensures that your website aligns perfectly with your business goals and provides a seamless user experience.

3. Enhanced Security: 

Security is a top concern when it comes to online presence. PHP has built-in security features that help protect your website from common threats such as cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection attacks. Additionally, PHP has a strong community of developers who continuously update and patch security vulnerabilities. By utilizing professional PHP development services, you can ensure that your website is built with the latest security practices, providing a safe environment for your users' data.

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[geeconglobal]

Application Development London: Your Guide to Finding the Right Partner

Application development is key for growth. This article will guide you to find the perfect application development London partner.

Understanding the London App Development Landscape

It is key to know the app market in London to help you find the right partner. Let's take a peek at the tech market!

The Thriving Tech Scene in London

London is a huge tech hub. It's a global leader in FinTech, AI, and e-commerce. It is also home to many app developers. This makes it a great place to find the right team for your project.

Types of App Development Companies in London

There are many choices when it comes to app developers. Big agencies offer a wide range of services. Small startups can be more agile. Freelancers might be cost-effective. Specialized firms focus on specific areas. Which one fits your needs?

Trends Shaping App Development in London

App development is always changing. Right now, AI integration is hot. Cross-platform development is also popular. Everyone wants apps that are easy to use. These trends will shape the future of apps.

Defining Your App Development Needs

Before you pick a developer, know your needs. This helps make sure your app is what you want. It is also something that fits your audience.

Identifying Your Target Audience and Objectives

Who will use your app? What do you want it to do? Knowing this is very important. Create user personas to understand your audience. What problems will the app solve?

Choosing the Right Platform (iOS, Android, or Cross-Platform)

Should you build for iOS, Android, or both? Each has pros and cons. iOS apps often make more money. Android has a wider reach. Cross-platform apps work on both. Consider who your audience is.

Budget Considerations and Cost Estimation

How much will your app cost? It depends on many things. Complexity, features, and platform all matter. More features mean more money. Plan your budget carefully.

Finding and Evaluating Potential App Developers

Now, it is time to find the right app developers. Look in the right places to find people. Then check to see if they are the right fit.

Where to Find App Developers in London

Where can you find app developers? Online directories are a great start. Attend industry events to meet people. Networking can also lead you to good developers.

Key Criteria for Evaluating Developers

Experience matters when looking for developers. Do they have a strong portfolio? Are they good at communicating? What do past clients say about them? Make sure their skills match your needs.

The Importance of a Strong Portfolio

A portfolio shows what a developer can do. Look at past projects and see if you like them. Does the work match your vision? Can they handle projects like yours?

The Application Development Process: What to Expect

Application development London takes time and work. Knowing the steps can help things go smooth. It can also lead to less problems.

Initial Consultation and Requirements Gathering

The first step is talking with the developer. They'll ask about your app idea. They'll want to understand your goals. This meeting sets the stage for the project.

Design, Development, and Testing Phases

Next comes design. Then, developers write the code. After that, testing finds and fixes bugs. These steps help to make sure that the app works well.

Launching and Maintaining Your App

Launching is not the end of the journey. Apps need updates and maintenance. Get a developer who will support your app. This keeps it running well over time.

Legal and Contractual Considerations

Don't forget the legal stuff when hiring a developer. It's boring but important. It keeps you safe.

Intellectual Property Rights

Who owns the app when it's done? You need to own your app's intellectual property. Make sure the contract is clear about this. Protect your idea.

Contractual Agreements and Service Level Agreements (SLAs)

A contract protects both you and the developer. It should cover costs and timelines. SLAs define the level of support. Review this with a lawyer for best results.

Data Privacy and GDPR Compliance

If your app collects data, follow GDPR. This law protects user data. Non-compliance can lead to big fines. Ensure your developer knows GDPR.

Conclusion

Finding the right application development London partner takes work. Research, communicate, and choose wisely. Start your search today.

[cresolinfoserv]

Best Web Design and Development Services in London UK

[mobileappdevelopmentcompanyinuk]

Doctor On-Demand App Development: A Comprehensive Guide to Building a Telemedicine App

Markets and Markets estimates that the worldwide telehealth and telemedicine market will generate $87.2 billion in revenue in 2022 and $285.7 billion by 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 26.6%. Additionally, surveys carried out in the USA indicated that 77% of patients preferred to message their doctor.

Most patients—about 82%—agreed that having access to healthcare via technology, much like taxi or food delivery services, would be beneficial. The fact that 69% of patients would choose teleconsultations over offline or in-person sessions may also come as a surprise.

In light of this fact, medical services must be upgraded with the use of virtual communication technologies that can ensure patient health, stop the spread of infections, and efficiently handle this health catastrophe. Thus, on-demand doctor app development, like Doctor On-demand, can benefit patients and doctors because they are simple and convenient.

How Does A Smartphone App for Doctors-On-Demand Operate?

Telemedicine apps leverage patient location data to present a list of experts who are accessible in the area. This is how a typical user journey looks:

The patient installs the app, creates a profile, and enters a thorough list of symptoms.

The app then offers a list of physicians in the region.

Depending on the doctor’s availability, a patient chooses a doctor and a day for an online appointment.

The doctor consults with you and makes treatment or test recommendations.

The patient receives the doctor’s prescriptions in a separate file and pays the doctor or the clinic via an online payment gateway.

Steps for Successful Doctor On-Demand Mobile App Development

As long as you keep up with current industry trends, creating a mobile application for your company is a logical next step. The objective of your app development efforts should be to concentrate on developing apps specific to your stakeholders’ requirements. Time to get started!

Step 1: Identify Tour Target Audience

Patients from diverse backgrounds have distinct requirements and expectations. Knowing your target market and the demographic material they want is essential when creating an app for doctor on-demand services. If not, you’ll create something that no one wants.

Step 2: Maintain An Up-to-Date Doctor Database And Network

Before offering clients the most incredible telemedicine platform, you must first build a database of accredited medical professionals and organizations.

Step 3: Create the Ideal Mix of Features

Making sure that your development plan contains the appropriate features and functions is another factor to consider while developing a doctor on-demand app. These are the ones that align with your app’s goals and meet the requirements of your target audience.

Step 4: Comply with All Conditions

Utilizing this step is crucial because adhering to the standards could result in your app being rejected and a data breach case. Make sure you consider various medical acts, compliances, app integrations, and certifications, including HIPAA, HL7, FDA, HITECH’s use stages 1 and 2, HHS, and EPSC.

Step 5: Work with the Top Mobile App Development Company in London

Before you can create a great application that will win everyone over, much work must be done. You can speak with a professional eager to help you improve your concept. Finding a business experienced in producing telehealth applications and knowledgeable about the regulatory concerns and hidden market issues associated with telehealth apps is thus necessary to guarantee that you are generating the finest healthcare app possible.

Step 6: Establish a Budget

If you need a reliable estimate of the doctor on-demand app development cost, you could postpone finishing your project or defer adding cutting-edge features and technologies.

Step 7: Determine the Most Appropriate Business Strategy And Income Source

It is crucial to understand how to make money from an on-demand medical app; the prior tip will help you figure out the whole cost. See which business strategy for on-demand doctors is the most popular. You will better comprehend why on-demand platforms are failing and how to fix them when you create a solid doctor-on-demand business model.

Read Also – How to Create A Healthcare Consultation App Like Zocdoc in 2023

What Prime Features Affect the Cost of Developing a Telemedicine App?

The time and money spent on various development and strategy tasks determine how much it will cost to create a telemedicine app. The following vital actions have a significant impact on an app development company’s rate:

Design (UI/UX)

Features used in the app

Development – Web and Mobile

Type of Apps – Cross-Platform, Native, Android or iOS

Project Management

Maintenance – QC and support post development

While developing Doctor On-demand apps with sophisticated features and functionality can cost anywhere between $40,000 and $70,000, entry-level telemedicine or doctor appointment booking apps typically cost between $15,000 and $30,000.

Wrapping Up!

Having a clear vision is essential for corporate success. This vision will assist you in defining the features and functionality of your on-demand doctor app and the marketing strategies you’ll employ to advertise it and create leads. So, what are you still waiting for? Contact the top mobile app development company in London to get your doctor’s on-demand mobile app ready.

Article Resource - https://zimblecode.com/doctor-on-demand-app-development-a-comprehensive-guide-to-building-a-telemedicine-app/

[mariacallous]

On paper, the first candidate looked perfect. Thomas was from rural Tennessee and had studied computer science at the University of Missouri. His résumé said he’d been a professional programmer for eight years, and he’d breezed through a preliminary coding test. All of this was excellent news for Thomas’ prospective boss, Simon Wijckmans, founder of the web security startup C.Side. The 27-year-old Belgian was based in London but was looking for ambitious, fully remote coders.

Thomas had an Anglo-Saxon surname, so Wijckmans was surprised when he clicked into his Google Meet and found himself speaking with a heavily accented young man of Asian origin. Thomas had set a generic image of an office as his background. His internet connection was laggy—odd for a professional coder—and his end of the call was noisy. To Wijckmans, Thomas sounded like he was sitting in a large, crowded space, maybe a dorm or a call center.

Wijckmans fired off his interview questions, and Thomas’ responses were solid enough. But Wijckmans noticed that Thomas seemed most interested in asking about his salary. He didn’t come across as curious about the actual work or about how the company operated or even about benefits like startup stock or health coverage. Odd, thought Wijckmans. The conversation came to a close, and he got ready for the next interview in his queue.

Once again, the applicant said they were based in the US, had an Anglo name, and appeared to be a young Asian man with a thick, non-American accent. He used a basic virtual background, was on a terrible internet connection, and had a single-minded focus on salary. This candidate, though, was wearing glasses. In the lenses, Wijckmans spotted the reflection of multiple screens, and he could make out a white chatbox with messages scrolling by. “He was clearly either chatting with somebody or on some AI tool,” Wijckmans remembers.

On high alert, Wijckmans grabbed screenshots and took notes. After the call ended, he went back over the job applications. He found that his company’s listings were being flooded with applicants just like these: an opening for a full-stack developer got more than 500 applications in a day, far more than usual. And when he looked more deeply into the applicants’ coding tests, he saw that many candidates appeared to have used a virtual private network, or VPN, which allows you to mask your computer’s true location.

Wijckmans didn’t know it yet, but he’d stumbled onto the edges of an audacious, global cybercrime operation. He’d unwittingly made contact with an army of seemingly unassuming IT workers, deployed to work remotely for American and European companies under false identities, all to bankroll the government of North Korea.

With a little help from some friends on the ground, of course.

christina chapman was living in a trailer in Brook Park, Minnesota, a hamlet north of Minneapolis, when she got a note from a recruiter that changed her life. A bubbly 44-year-old with curly red hair and glasses, she loved her dogs and her mom and posting social justice content on TikTok. In her spare time she listened to K-pop, enjoyed Renaissance fairs, and got into cosplay. Chapman was also, according to her sparse online résumé, learning to code online.

It was March 2020 when she clicked on the message in her LinkedIn account. A foreign company was looking for somebody to “be the US face” of the business. The company needed help finding remote employment for overseas workers. Chapman signed on. It’s unclear how fast her workload grew, but by October 2022 she could afford a move from chilly Minnesota to a low-slung, four-bedroom house in Litchfield Park, Arizona. It wasn’t fancy—a suburban corner lot with a few thin trees—but it was a big upgrade over the trailer.

Chapman then started documenting more of her life on TikTok and YouTube, mostly talking about her diet, fitness, or mental health. In one chatty video, shared in June 2023, she described grabbing breakfast on the go—an açaí bowl and a smoothie— because work was so busy. “My clients are going crazy!” she complained. In the background, the camera caught a glimpse of metal racks holding at least a dozen open laptops covered in sticky notes. A few months later, federal investigators raided Chapman’s home, seized the laptops, and eventually filed charges alleging that she had spent three years aiding the “illicit revenue generation efforts” of the government of North Korea.

For maybe a decade, North Korean intelligence services have been training young IT workers and sending them abroad in teams, often to China or Russia. From these bases, they scour the web for job listings all over, usually in software engineering, and usually with Western companies. They favor roles that are fully remote, with solid wages, good access to data and systems, and few responsibilities. Over time they began applying for these jobs using stolen or fake identities and relying on members of their criminal teams to provide fictional references; some have even started using AI to pass coding tests, video interviews, and background checks.

But if an applicant lands a job offer, the syndicate needs somebody on the ground in the country the applicant claims to live in. A fake employee, after all, can’t use the addresses or bank accounts linked to their stolen IDs, and they can’t dial in to a company’s networks from overseas without instantly triggering suspicion. That’s where someone like Christina Chapman comes in.

As the “facilitator” for hundreds of North Korea–linked jobs, Chapman signed fraudulent documents and handled some of the fake workers’ salaries. She would often receive their paychecks in one of her bank accounts, take a cut, and wire the rest overseas: Federal prosecutors say Chapman was promised as much as 30 percent of the money that passed through her hands.

Her most important job, though, was tending the “laptop farm.” After being hired, a fake worker will typically ask for their company computer to be sent to a different address than the one on record—usually with some tale about a last-minute move or needing to stay with a sick relative. The new address, of course, belongs to the facilitator, in this case Chapman. Sometimes the facilitator forwards the laptop to an address overseas, but more commonly that person holds onto it and installs software that allows it to be controlled remotely. Then the fake employee can connect to their machine from anywhere in the world while appearing to be in the US. (“You know how to install Anydesk?” one North Korean operative asked Chapman in 2022. “I do it practically EVERYDAY!” she replied.)

In messages with her handlers, Chapman discussed sending government forms like the I-9, which attests that a person is legally able to work in the US. (“I did my best to copy your signature,” she wrote. “Haha. Thank you,” came the response.) She also did basic tech troubleshooting and dialed into meetings on a worker’s behalf, sometimes on short notice, as in this conversation from November 2023:

Worker: We are going to have laptop setup meeting in 20 mins. Can you join Teams meeting and follow what IT guy say? Because it will require to restart laptop multiple times and I can not handle that. You can mute and just follow what they say ...

Chapman: Who do I say I am?

Worker: You don’t have to say, I will be joining there too.

Chapman: I just typed in the name Daniel. If they ask WHY you are using two devices, just say the microphone on your laptop doesn’t work right ... Most IT people are fine with that explanation.

Sometimes, she got jumpy. “I hope you guys can find other people to do your physical I9s,” she wrote to her bosses in 2023, according to court documents. “I will SEND them for you, but have someone else do the paperwork. I can go to FEDERAL PRISON for falsifying federal documents.” Michael Barnhart, an investigator at cybersecurity company DTEX and a leading expert on the North Korean IT worker threat, says Chapman’s involvement followed a standard pattern—from an innocuous initial contact on LinkedIn to escalating requests. “Little by little, the asks get bigger and bigger,” he says. “Then by the end of the day, you’re asking the facilitator to go to a government facility to pick up an actual government ID.”

By the time investigators raided Chapman’s home, she was housing several dozen laptops, each with a sticky note indicating the fake worker’s identity and employer. Some of the North Korean operatives worked multiple jobs; some had been toiling quietly for years. Prosecutors said at least 300 employers had been pulled into this single scheme, including “a top-five national television network and media company, a premier Silicon Valley technology company, an aerospace and defense manufacturer, an iconic American car manufacturer, a high-end retail store, and one of the most recognizable media and entertainment companies in the world.” Chapman, they alleged, had helped pass along at least $17 million. She pleaded guilty in February 2025 to charges relating to wire fraud, identity theft, and money laundering and is awaiting sentencing.

Chapman’s case is just one of several North Korean fake-worker prosecutions making their way through US courts. A Ukrainian named Oleksandr Didenko has been accused of setting up a freelancing website to connect fake IT workers with stolen identities. Prosecutors say at least one worker was linked to Chapman’s laptop farm and that Didenko also has ties to operations in San Diego and Virginia. Didenko was arrested in Poland last year and was extradited to the United States. In Tennessee, 38-year-old Matthew Knoot is due to stand trial for his alleged role in a scheme that investigators say sent hundreds of thousands of dollars to accounts linked to North Korea via his laptop farm in Nashville. (Knoot has pleaded not guilty.) And in January 2025, Florida prosecutors filed charges against two American citizens, Erick Ntekereze Prince and Emanuel Ashtor, as well as a Mexican accomplice and two North Koreans. (None of the defendants’ lawyers in these cases responded to requests for comment.) The indictments claim that Prince and Ashtor had spent six years running a string of fake staffing companies that placed North Koreans in at least 64 businesses.

before the hermit kingdom had its laptop farms, it had a single confirmed internet connection, at least as far as the outside world could tell. As recently as 2010, that one link to the web was reserved for use by high-ranking officials. Then, in 2011, 27-year-old Kim Jong Un succeeded his father as the country’s dictator. Secretly educated in Switzerland and said to be an avid gamer, the younger Kim made IT a national priority. In 2012, he urged some schools to “pay special attention to intensifying their computer education” to create new possibilities for the government and military. Computer science is now on some high school curricula, while college students can take courses on information security, robotics, and engineering.

The most promising students are taught hacking techniques and foreign languages that can make them more effective operatives. Staff from government agencies including the Reconnaissance General Bureau— the nation’s clandestine intelligence service—recruit the highest-scoring graduates of top schools like Kim Chaek University of Technology (described by many as “the MIT of North Korea”) or the prestigious University of Sciences in Pyongsong. They are promised good wages and unfettered access to the internet—the real internet, not the intranet available to well-off North Koreans, which consists of a mere handful of heavily censored North Korean websites.

The earliest cyberattacks launched by Pyongyang were simple affairs: defacing websites with political messages or launching denial-of-service attacks to shut down US websites. They soon grew more audacious. In 2014, North Korean hackers famously stole and leaked confidential information from Sony’s film studio. Then they targeted financial institutions: Fraudulent trades pulled more than $81 million from the Bank of Bangladesh’s accounts at the New York Federal Reserve. After that, North Korean hackers moved into ransomware—the WannaCry attack in 2017 locked hundreds of thousands of Windows computers in 150 countries and demanded payments in bitcoin. While the amount of revenue the attack generated is up for debate—some say it earned just $140,000 in payouts—it wreaked much wider damage as companies worked to upgrade their systems and security, costing as much as $4 billion, according to one estimate.

Governments responded with more sanctions and stronger security measures, and the regime pivoted, dialing back on ransomware in favor of quieter schemes. It turns out these are also more lucrative: Today, the most valuable tool in North Korea’s cybercrime armory is cryptocurrency theft. In 2022, hackers stole more than $600 million worth of the cryptocurrency ether by attacking the blockchain game Axie Infinity; in February of this year, they robbed the Dubai-based crypto exchange Bybit of $1.5 billion worth of digital currency. The IT pretender scam, meanwhile, seems to have been growing slowly until the pandemic dramatically expanded the number of remote jobs, and Pyongyang saw the perfect opportunity.

In 2024, according to a recent report from South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, the number of people working in North Korea’s cyber divisions—which includes pretenders, crypto thieves, and military hackers—stood at 8,400, up from 6,800 two years earlier. Some of these workers are based in the country, but many are stationed overseas in China, Russia, Pakistan, or elsewhere. They are relatively well compensated, but their posting is hardly cushy.

Teams of 10 to 20 young men live and work out of a single apartment, sleeping four or five to a room and grinding up to 14 hours a day at weird hours to correspond with their remote job’s time zone. They have quotas of illicit earnings they are expected to meet. Their movements are tightly controlled, as are those of their relatives, who are effectively held hostage to prevent defections. “You don’t have any freedom,” says Hyun-Seung Lee, a North Korean defector who lives in Washington, DC, and says some of his old friends were part of such operations. “You’re not allowed to leave the apartment unless you need to purchase something, like grocery shopping, and that is arranged by the team leader. Two or three people must go together so there’s no opportunity for them to explore.”

The US government estimates that a typical team of pretenders can earn up to $3 million each year for Pyongyang. Experts say the money is pumped into everything from Kim Jong Un’s personal slush fund to the country’s nuclear weapons program. A few million dollars may seem small next to the flashy crypto heists— but with so many teams operating in obscurity, the fraud is effective precisely because it is so mundane.

in the summer of 2022, a major multinational company hired a remote engineer to work on website development. “He would dial in to meetings, he would participate in discussions,” an executive at the company told me on condition of anonymity. “His manager said he was considered the most productive member of the team.”

One day, his coworkers organized a surprise to celebrate his birthday. Colleagues gathered on a video call to congratulate him, only to be startled by his response—but it’s not my birthday. After nearly a year at the company, the worker had apparently forgotten the birth date listed in his records. It was enough to spark suspicion, and soon afterward the security team discovered that he was running remote access tools on his work computer, and he was let go. It was only later, when federal investigators discovered one of his pay stubs at Christina Chapman’s laptop farm in Arizona, that the company connected the dots and realized it had employed a foreign agent for nearly a year.

For many pretenders, the goal is simply to earn a good salary to send back to Pyongyang, not so much to steal money or data. “We’ve seen long-tail operations where they were going 10, 12, 18 months working in some of these organizations,” says Adam Meyers, a senior vice president for counter adversary operations at the security company CrowdStrike. Sometimes, though, North Korean operatives last just a few days— enough time to download huge amounts of company data or plant malicious software in a company’s systems before abruptly quitting. That code could alter financial data or manipulate security information. Or these seeds could lay dormant for months, even years.

“The potential risk from even one minute of access to systems is almost unlimited for an individual company,” says Declan Cummings, the head of engineering at software company Cinder. Experts say that attacks are ramping up not just in the US but also in Germany, France, Britain, Japan and other countries. They urge companies to do rigorous due diligence: speak directly to references, watch for candidates making sudden changes of address, use reputable online screening tools, and conduct a physical interview or in-person ID verification.

But none of these methods are foolproof, and AI tools are constantly weakening them. ChatGPT and the like give almost anyone the capacity to answer esoteric questions in real time with unearned confidence, and their fluency with coding threatens to make programming tests irrelevant. AI video filters and deepfakes can also add to the subterfuge.

At an onboarding call, for instance, many HR representatives now ask new employees to hold their ID up to the camera for closer inspection. “But the fraudsters have a neat trick there,” says Donal Greene, a biometrics expert at the online background check provider Certn. They take a green-colored card the exact shape and size of an identity card—a mini green screen—and, using deepfake technology, project the image of an ID onto it. “They can actually move it and show the reflection,” says Greene. “It’s very sophisticated.” North Korean agents have even been known to send look-alikes to pick up a physical ID card from an office or to take a drug test required by prospective employers.

Even security experts can be fooled. In July 2024, Knowbe4, a Florida-based company that offers security training, discovered that a new hire known as “Kyle” was actually a foreign agent. “He interviewed great,” says Brian Jack, KnowBe4’s chief information security officer. “He was on camera, his résumé was right, his background check cleared, his ID cleared verification. We didn’t have any reason to suspect this wasn’t a valid candidate.” But when his facilitator—the US-based individual giving him cover—tried to install malware on Kyle’s company computer, the security team caught on and shut him out.

Back in london, Simon Wijckmans couldn’t let go of the idea that somebody had tried to fool him. He’d just read about the Knowbe4 case, which deepened his suspicions. He conducted background checks and discovered that some of his candidates were definitely using stolen identities. And, he found, some of them were linked to known North Korean operations. So Wijckmans decided to wage a little counter exercise of his own, and he invited me to observe.

I dial in to Google Meet at 3 am Pacific time, tired and bleary. We deliberately picked this offensively early hour because it’s 6 am in Miami, where the candidate, “Harry,” claims to be.

Harry joins the call, looking pretty fresh-faced. He’s maybe in his late twenties, with short, straight, black hair. Everything about him seems deliberately nonspecific: He wears a plain black crewneck sweater and speaks into an off-brand headset. “I just woke up early today for this interview, no problem,” he says. “I know that working with UK hours is kind of a requirement, so I can get my working hours to yours, so no problem with it.”

So far, everything matches the hallmarks of a fake worker. Harry’s virtual background is one of the default options provided by Google Meet, and his connection is a touch slow. His English is good but heavily accented, even though he tells us he was born in New York and grew up in Brooklyn. Wijckmans starts with some typical interview questions, and Harry keeps glancing off to his right as he responds. He talks about various coding languages and name-drops the frameworks he’s familiar with. Wijckmans starts asking some deeper technical questions. Harry pauses. He looks confused. “Can I rejoin the meeting?” he asks. “I have a problem with my microphone.” Wijckman nods, and Harry disappears.

A couple of minutes pass, and I start to fret that we’ve scared him away, but then he pops back into the meeting. His connection isn’t much better, but his answers are clearer. Maybe he restarted his chatbot, or got a coworker to coach him. The call runs a few more minutes and we say goodbye.

Our next applicant calls himself “Nic.” On his résumé he’s got a link to a personal website, but this guy doesn’t look much like the profile photo on the site. This is his second interview with Wijckmans, and we are certain that he’s faking it: He’s one of the applicants who failed the background check after his first call, although he doesn’t know that.

Nic’s English is worse than Harry’s: When he’s asked what time it is, he tells us it’s “six and past” before correcting himself and saying “quarter to seven.” Where does he live? “I’m in Ohio for now,” he beams, like a kid who got something right in a pop quiz.

Several minutes in, though, his answers become nonsensical. Simon asks him a question about web security. “Political leaders ... government officials or the agencies responsible for border security,” Nic says. “They’re responsible for monitoring and also securing the borders, so we can employ the personnel to patrol the borders and also check the documents and enforce the immigration laws.”

I’m swapping messages with Wijckmans on the back channel we’ve set up when it dawns on us: Whatever AI bot Nic seems to be using must have misinterpreted a mention of “Border Gateway Protocol”—a system for sending traffic across the internet—with national borders, and started spewing verbiage about immigration enforcement. “What a waste of time,” Wijckmans messages me. We wrap up the conversation abruptly.

I try to put myself in the seat of a hiring manager or screener who’s under pressure. The fraudsters’ words may not have always made sense, but their test scores and résumés looked solid, and their technical-sounding guff might be enough to fool an uninformed recruiter. I suspect at least one of them could have made it to the next step in some unsuspecting company’s hiring process.

Wijckmans tells me he has a plan if he comes across another pretender. He has created a web page that looks like a standard coding assessment, which he’ll send to fake candidates. As soon as they hit the button to start the test, their browser will spawn dozens of pop-up pages that bounce around the screen, all of them featuring information on how to defect from North Korea. Then loud music plays—a rickroll, “The Star-Spangled Banner”—before the computer starts downloading random files and emits an ear-splitting beep. “Just a little payback,” he says.

Wijckman’s stunt is not going to stop the pretenders, of course. But maybe it will irritate them for a moment. Then they’ll get back to work, signing on from some hacking sweatshop in China or through a laptop farm in the US, and join the next team meeting—a quiet, camera-off chat with coworkers just like me or you.

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what is python programmingWelcome to the captivating world of Python programming! If you've ever been curious about coding or are looking to enhance your skills, then you're in the right place. Whether you're a beginner eager to dip your toes into the vast ocean of programming or an experienced developer seeking to expand your repertoire, Python has something incredible in store for everyone.

In this blog post, we'll explore everything there is to know about Python - from its origins and benefits, to what makes it such a popular language among programmers worldwide. So grab your favorite beverage and get ready to embark on an exhilarating journey into the realm of Python programming. Let's dive in!

What is Python?Python is a high-level, interpreted programming language that was created by Guido van Rossum and first released in 1991. Known for its simplicity and readability, Python has gained immense popularity among programmers of all levels. It supports multiple programming paradigms, including object-oriented, procedural, and functional programming.

One of the standout features of Python is its clean and elegant syntax. With minimalistic code structure, developers can write concise programs that are easy to understand and maintain. The language also boasts a vast standard library that provides ready-to-use modules for various tasks such as file handling, networking operations, database access, and more.

Python's versatility extends beyond traditional software development. It finds application in areas like web development using frameworks like Django or Flask, data analysis with libraries like pandas or NumPy, machine learning through scikit-learn or TensorFlow - just to scratch the surface.

Furthermore, Python's cross-platform compatibility allows you to run your code seamlessly on different operating systems such as Windows, macOS, Linux without any modifications. This flexibility makes it an ideal choice for building applications across diverse environments.

Whether you're creating simple scripts or complex applications/systems from scratch – Python offers an extensive range of tools and resources to make your coding experience smooth sailing. Its vast community support ensures that you'll never be short on help when facing challenges along the way.

In summary (not conclusive), Python is a dynamic programming language loved by beginners and professionals alike due to its simplicity yet powerful capabilities across various domains – making it an essential tool in every programmer's arsenal.

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