South Korea’s financial industry hit by fresh wave of cyberattacks

South Korea’s financial institutions have been hit by another wave of cyberattacks, highlighting the growing risk of AI-driven hacking in Asia. The latest incidents affect brokerages Daishin Securities and Mirae Asset Global Investments, as well as the crypto exchange Bithumb.

The incident comes roughly a month after a series of cyberattacks targeting South Korean financial institutions, raising concerns about vulnerabilities beyond just the country’s banking systems. Security researchers linked the September wave of attacks on South Korea to a suspected China-based hacker who relied on an AI penetration testing tool called Artex, though officials are still investigating the root cause of the latest breaches.

According to a local news, Daishin reported a cyberattack that exposed the personal information of 38,490 customers, including names, email addresses, and mobile phone numbers. The company has notified affected customers, is cooperating with authorities in the investigation, and will compensate for any losses as required by law.

Meanwhile, Mirae and Bithumb reported separate cybersecurity incidents on Wednesday, per local media, though neither has confirmed that customer data was taken.

South Korea’s financial regulator has called for stronger cybersecurity measures following a string of attacks on financial firms and government agencies, per officials in Seoul on Wednesday. The country also plans to conduct security checks on dozens of IT systems in the private sector.

Yesterday, Japan reported a cybersecurity incident involving GMO Internet, following a series of attacks on its financial institutions. The wave of cyberattacks across Asia underscore growing cybersecurity challenges in the region, often as a result of years of weak cybersecurity; though, investigators have not established a connection between the incidents.

South Korea’s Financial Services Commission (FSC), Daishin Securities, Bithumb and Mirae Asset Global Investments did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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Kate Park is a reporter at TechCrunch, with a focus on technology, startups and venture capital in Asia. She previously was a financial journalist at Mergermarket covering M&A, private equity and venture capital.