South Korea’s financial industry hit by fresh wave of cyberattacks
TechCrunch Kate Park
South Korean brokers, a crypto exchange, and banks are facing another round of cyberattacks. It’s the latest sign that AI-assisted hacking is becoming a bigger problem in Asia.
Based on reporting by TechCrunch, Kate Park — read the original for the full story.
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South Korea’s financial sector is dealing with yet another wave of cyberattacks, and this one goes beyond the country’s banks. Brokerages Daishin Securities and Mirae Asset Global Investments, along with crypto exchange Bithumb, are among the latest targets.
The new incidents come about a month after a separate set of attacks hit South Korean financial institutions. Security researchers tied that earlier wave to a suspected China-based hacker using an AI penetration testing tool called Artex, but officials are still trying to figure out what caused the latest breaches.
Daishin said the attack exposed personal information for 38,490 customers, including names, email addresses, and mobile phone numbers, according to local news. The firm said it has notified affected customers, is working with authorities, and will pay compensation for losses where the law requires it.
Mirae Asset Global Investments and Bithumb both reported separate cybersecurity incidents on Wednesday, local media said, though neither has said customer data was taken. South Korea’s financial regulator is now pushing for stronger protections after attacks on financial firms and government agencies, and officials in Seoul said the country will also inspect dozens of private-sector IT systems.
The region’s problems aren’t stopping at South Korea. Japan reported a cybersecurity incident involving GMO Internet yesterday after a string of attacks on its financial institutions. Investigators have not linked the cases, but the pattern is getting harder to ignore.
My take — AI-written commentary, not fact-checked reporting
AI is turning cybercrime into a services business, and regulators are still acting like they’ve just discovered the wiring. The real joke is that financial firms keep getting surprised when attackers go after the obvious prize: customer data, money, and trust. Asia’s banks and brokers are learning the expensive version of “security later”.
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