South Korea: Presidential office to unveil cybersecurity measures following hacking incidents

Seoul, Sep 22 (IANS) The presidential Office of National Security said Monday it will come up with "comprehensive" measures to prevent further hacking incidents following a series of security breaches at mobile carriers and a credit card issuer.

The presidential office said it has been in consultations with relevant ministry officials and experts, and plans to announce the measures later this month in response to the hacking incidents at SK Telecom Co., KT Corp. and Lotte Card Co.

"We take the hacking cases at the telecom and financial firms, and the damage suffered by citizens, seriously," the office said, adding it is working with the Ministry of Science and ICT, the National Intelligence Service and other authorities to prepare a coordinated response.

The government is also preparing to launch nationwide inspections of major telecom and platform providers and financial firms, while seeking to strengthen measures to protect users in the event of a security breach, it added.

In April, SK Telecom reported that the private data of its entire user base may have been leaked in a cyberattack on its network servers, while KT, another mobile carrier, has reported illegal micropayments involving 362 subscribers in recent weeks.

Last month, Lotte Card's servers were hacked, compromising the personal information of some 3 million customers, Yonhap news agency reported.

Earlier on Thursday, President Lee called for comprehensive steps to bolster digital security after recent data breaches at KT and Lotte Card.

During a meeting with senior aides, Lee said it was necessary to hold private firms accountable but also warned that the government must develop systematic defenses against increasingly sophisticated attacks.

He added that without security, South Korea's ambitions to become a major global player in the digital and AI sectors would be “a house of cards.”

--IANS

int/rs