Three major South Korean financial entities reported cyberattacks on Wednesday, affecting brokerages Daishin Securities, Mirae Asset Global Investments, and the crypto exchange Bithumb. Daishin confirmed the breach exposed personal details for 38,490 customers, including names, email addresses, and mobile phone numbers. The company has notified affected individuals and is cooperating with authorities while preparing to compensate victims as required by law. Mirae and Bithumb acknowledged separate security incidents but have not confirmed whether customer data was stolen. These events follow a similar wave of attacks last month that security researchers linked to a suspected China-based hacker using an AI penetration testing tool called Artex.
Officials in Seoul view these incidents as evidence that regional cybersecurity weaknesses persist beyond traditional banking systems. The Financial Services Commission has ordered stronger security measures and plans to inspect dozens of private sector IT systems. Japan reported a comparable incident involving GMO Internet, though investigators have not established a connection between the separate attacks across Asia. The regulator emphasises that years of insufficient security protocols have left financial firms and government agencies vulnerable to modern threats.
- 38,490 Daishin customers had personal data exposed
- Regulators ordered security checks on private sector IT systems
- Previous attacks linked to an AI penetration testing tool
