"My information again?" Leaks at the drop of a hat.... "I don't even get angry anymore"

Google Gemini [Financial News] "I don't even get angry anymore at the news that my name, phone number, and email address have been leaked. " Mr. Lee (29), a graduate student residing in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, turned on an online video streaming (OTT) app before falling asleep in the early hours of the 3rd and could not take his eyes off the screen for a few seconds.
This was due to a notice confirming that his personal information had been leaked. "You can't get back information that has already been leaked, can you?" Mr. Lee said, expressing concern that "information leaks are happening so frequently that I don't think I can use even a common service with peace of mind." The personal information leak incident at TVING has once again brought the issue of corporate security management systems under scrutiny. With a series of recent information leaks, voices of concern among users regarding further damage are growing. Experts unanimously agree that companies must create an environment where they can focus on strengthening their organizational security capabilities.According to industry sources on the 5th, TVING announced via a notice on the 4th that it had confirmed signs of unauthorized access to its personal information storage database and file leaks. The leaked information includes member IDs, names, dates of birth, gender, phone numbers, email addresses, and Linked Identity (CI). While TVING stated that resident registration numbers and valid payment-related information were not leaked, there are many who express dissatisfaction as it has been revealed that CI was leaked.
CI is a unique value used to identify users who have undergone identity verification and was introduced to reduce the direct collection of resident registration numbers. The problem lies in the fact that once leaked, it is virtually impossible to change. Although CI alone cannot be used to open an account or log in, critics point out that the possibility of it being exploited for additional damage cannot be ruled out if combined with information leaked from other services.
The recent use of personal information for retaliatory crimes is also cited as one of the factors fueling public concern. The police are currently investigating a group that infiltrated an outsourcing company for the delivery app 'Baedal Minjok' under false pretenses to steal users' personal information, such as addresses, and then exploited it for private revenge crimes. During the search and seizure process, addresses belonging to non-Baedal Minjok members were also secured, raising concerns that the scale of the damage could be larger than initially anticipated.
Reports of related damages are on the rise. According to e-National Indicators, the number of personal information infringement reports received by the Personal Information Protection Commission last year reached 955. 33% in just one year compared to the 762 cases recorded in 2024.
The types of reports include unlawful collection of personal information, insufficient measures to ensure the safety of personal information, and unlawful use or provision of personal information. This is attributed to the series of widespread personal information leaks that occurred last year involving SK Telecom, Albamon, and Coupang. Experts are arguing that efforts at the government level are necessary.
They analyze that the frequent occurrence of large-scale personal information leaks is evidence that the direction of the nation's comprehensive information protection measures is wavering. Park Chun-sik, former professor of cybersecurity at Ajou University, stated, "Rather than strengthening post-incident punishment, it is necessary to establish various support systems that allow companies to autonomously improve their capabilities. " There are also voices calling for the urgent prevention of further damage.
This is because, now that loopholes in the information security management system have been exposed, there is a possibility that similar incidents will recur. Kim Myung-joo, professor of Intelligent Information Security at Seoul Women's University, suggested, "I recommend changing passwords immediately and also changing login information for other service accounts that use similar IDs or passwords.
"Google Gemini [Financial News] "I don't even get angry anymore at the news that my name, phone number, and email address have been leaked. " Mr. Lee (29), a graduate student residing in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, turned on an online video streaming (OTT) app before falling asleep in the early hours of the 3rd and could not take his eyes off the screen for a few seconds.
jyseo@fnnews.com Seo Ji-yoon Reporter