South Korean Financial Sector Hit by New Cyberattacks on Brokerages and Crypto Exchange

New Cyberattacks Target South Korean Financial Firms

South Korea's financial industry has been affected by a new series of cyberattacks. Brokerages Daishin Securities and Mirae Asset Global Investments, along with the cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb, have reported cybersecurity incidents. This follows a previous wave of attacks on South Korean financial institutions approximately a month prior.

Customer Data Exposure and Ongoing Investigations

Daishin Securities reported a cyberattack that exposed personal information for 38,490 customers, including names, email addresses, and mobile phone numbers. The company has informed affected customers and is cooperating with authorities. Mirae Asset and Bithumb also reported incidents, but have not confirmed customer data compromise. Officials are investigating the root cause of these latest breaches; previous attacks in September were linked to a suspected China-based hacker using an AI penetration testing tool called Artex.

Regulatory Response and Regional Concerns

South Korea's financial regulator has called for enhanced cybersecurity measures across the financial sector and plans security checks on private sector IT systems. These incidents underscore broader cybersecurity challenges in Asia, with Japan also reporting a recent incident involving GMO Internet. While investigators have not established a connection between these regional incidents, they highlight vulnerabilities often attributed to years of weak cybersecurity practices.