Gov't to review security at over 170 critical telecom, internet facilities
People are seen near ATMs operated by various banks in Seoul, Sunday. Yonhap
The government plans to review security at more than 170 critical information infrastructure facilities managed by 111 private-sector organizations, officials said Wednesday, as cyber breaches continued across the financial sector.
The checks follow President Lee Jae Myung’s order to strengthen safeguards across core national systems as suspected artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted attacks have spread across most major financial segments since a breach at Shinhan Bank was reported to authorities on Sept. 30.
The facilities are designated under the Act on the Protection of Information and Communications Infrastructure because disruptions could significantly harm national security, the economy or society. They include telecommunications and internet data center systems run by SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus.
The Ministry of Science and ICT will focus on how operators identify and address vulnerabilities in internet-facing assets, including servers and web pages. The review comes amid concerns that inadequately managed external access points may have enabled recent financial sector breaches.
The ministry said it will supplement routine inspections with a checklist reflecting the causes of recent breaches at financial institutions and conduct targeted checks of internet-facing assets.
It aims to complete its review of the organizations’ self-assessment findings as early as November.
Meanwhile, Cheong Wa Dae convened an emergency meeting later in the day to coordinate its response to the latest cyberattacks.
Song Ki-ho, vice chief of the National Security Office at Cheong Wa Dae, chaired the meeting, which was attended by officials from the Financial Services Commission, the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Financial Security Institute, among others.
Participants reviewed ongoing investigations and response measures, including ways to prevent leaked information from being used in text-message scams and voice phishing.
They also discussed checks on potential entry points, such as external servers and internal business systems, and agreed to share threat information and investigation findings in real time.
“Cyberattacks on the financial sector have direct implications for people’s assets and confidence in the financial system,” Song said, calling for a prompt response to prevent further damage.
“Greater efforts are needed to strengthen security at smaller financial firms with limited resources,” he added.