KT Hack

 

SEOUL, March 7 (Yonhap) – Korea’s telecoms ministry said on Friday that it will launch an investigation into the latest hacking incident at KT Corp that led to millions of customers’ personal data being leaked.

The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency said on Thursday it arrested three suspects, including a telemarketer, for allegedly hacking into the company’s website and stealing the data of some 12 million clients of the mobile carrier.

The personal information leakage was found after the mobile carrier’s website was compromised by hackers. 

According to the police, the leaked information included victims’ names, resident registration numbers, places of employment, and bank account details. Police believe the suspects began stealing the data last February, with up to 300,000 pieces of information being stolen in a single day. They reportedly made 11.5 billion won (US$10.8 million) using the information to sell mobile phones.

A duo of hackers identified only by their surnames Kim and Jung, ages 29 and 38, allegedly broke into the computer system of the telecoms firm by logging onto its Web page using a program of their own creation that allowed them to extract information by randomly inserting nine-digit verification numbers, police said.

KT said in an official statement on Thursday that it will make efforts to minimize possible damages to customers, adding that the company will cooperate with the police to uncover the details of the incident.

On Friday, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning said that it will establish a team of government officials and online security specialists to investigate the incident with the cooperation of the Korea Communications Commission.

The ministry ordered KT to provide the victims with details and backgrounds of the incident and establish a system on its website to allow users to check if their information was included in the hacked data.

The ministry said it will operate an around-the-clock service center to receive reports on damages incurred from the leakage, and warned users to be aware of calls and texts by those impersonating KT staff.

It added that its investigation showed the systems of SK Telecom Co. and LG Uplus Corp., the country’s other two major mobile carriers, were not found to have similar weaknesses as KT.

In 2012, the personal information of about 8.7 million mobile phone subscribers had been stolen from KT by hackers, who sold the information to telemarketers trying to contact customers whose contracts were nearing expiration or considered likely to change subscription plans.

The police said that it plans to summon security specialists from KT next week for further investigation into the incident.

In January, South Korea’s Financial Services Commission revealed that some 20 million clients’ personal data, including bank account numbers, addresses and credit ratings, had been leaked from three credit card firms – KB Kookmin, NH Nonghyup and Lotte.

Following the data leak, local financial regulators have been working to revise bills to beef up the protection of personal information.

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