Saemaul Geumgo blocked one hacking attempt, but data on about 400 mutual aid members leaked (Roundup)

[Financial News] A hacking attack on Saemaul Geumgo exposed the personal credit information of about 400 mutual aid members. The breach was confirmed to be unrelated to the earlier blocking of access from an IP address used in an attack on Shinhan Bank.
On the 13th, the Saemaul Geumgo Central Association announced on its website that the personal credit information of about 400 mutual aid members had been exposed.
The association was reportedly hit by a hacking attack on the 10th, became aware of the data leak on the 12th, and reported it to financial authorities that same day.
The exposed information included customer numbers, names, encrypted resident registration numbers, account numbers, dates of birth, mobile phone numbers, home phone numbers, work phone numbers, home addresses, work addresses, email addresses and account balances. The information exposed varied from person to person.
The association had earlier reportedly used its own security equipment to block abnormal access from an IP address used in an attack on Shinhan Bank. It explained, “This data leak occurred this month and was unrelated to the attack we blocked at the time.”
After becoming aware of the leak, the association blocked the IP address used by the hacker and the IP address used to access the system indirectly. It has also checked for vulnerabilities on its website and taken steps to address them. Customers whose information was confirmed to have been exposed are being notified individually by text message. Customers can check whether they were affected and what information was exposed by using the personal credit information leak inquiry page on the website.
In an apology issued that day, Im Jin-woo, CEO of the Credit and Mutual Aid Division at the Saemaul Geumgo Central Association, said, “The association takes this incident very seriously. We will review our overall systems and procedures for protecting and managing personal (credit) information, and strengthen our security systems to do everything we can to prevent similar incidents from happening again.” He added, “We will take an even more responsible approach to protecting personal (credit) information and the rights and interests of our mutual aid members,” and “If customers suffer any harm as a result of this leak, we will compensate them in full.”
Meanwhile, the impact of data leaks caused by hacking is spreading across the financial sector. With a breach also confirmed at Saemaul Geumgo, following the nine institutions Shinhan Bank, KB Kookmin Bank, Hana Bank, BNK Busan Bank, Yegaram Savings Bank, Welcome Savings Bank, Hyundai Capital, PFC Technologies (PFCT) and Mouda, the number of financial institutions confirmed to have suffered data leaks has risen to 10.
[email protected] Lee Hyun-jung Reporter