Police form 28-member team to investigate hacking at South Korean financial firms
In short
South Korea's National Investigation Headquarters said it has created a 28-person, four-team task force to investigate hacking that has spread through the financial sector and into the secondary financial sector. Police said the case was filed under the Information and Communications Network Act and that they are reviewing whether it should be reported to the Serious Crime Investigation Agency. Newsis said the case involves Shinhan, KB Kookmin, Hana and BNK Busan.
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South Korea's National Investigation Headquarters said on Oct. 6 that it had opened a dedicated investigation team of 28 people in four teams to look into a series of hacking incidents affecting financial institutions, Newsis reported. Police said the case had been filed under the Information and Communications Network Act after they verified the objective facts of the case. [ 1 ]
Police are also reviewing whether the case qualifies for notification to the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, according to the same report. Newsis said the incidents have spread across the financial sector and into the secondary financial sector, and named Shinhan, KB Kookmin, Hana and BNK Busan before the article was cut off. [ 1 ]
The only Yonhap item published in the same window was a personnel announcement for the Joongang Shinmun, listing a new editorial director and department heads, and it did not address the hacking case. Neither document gave the scale of the breach, the number of customers affected or a location for the case. [ 1 , 2 ]
Why it matters
The case points to a security problem widening from banks into the secondary financial sector, prompting a national police task force rather than a routine local inquiry. Police are also weighing whether the case should go to the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, which would signal a higher tier of handling. The documents do not give the size of the breach or the number of customers affected.
Key facts
- Police said they formed a dedicated investigation team of four teams and 28 people for the financial hacking case. [ 1 ]
- Police said the case was filed under the Information and Communications Network Act after they verified the objective facts of the case. [ 1 ]
- Police said they are reviewing whether the case qualifies for notification to the Serious Crime Investigation Agency. [ 1 ]
- Newsis reported the incidents have spread across the financial sector and into the secondary financial sector. [ 1 ]
- Newsis named Shinhan, KB Kookmin, Hana and BNK Busan in connection with the case before the article was cut off. [ 1 ]
- The only Yonhap item published in the same window was a personnel announcement for the Joongang Shinmun, which did not address the hacking case. [ 2 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Nothing is confirmed by two independent outlets yet.
Still unclear
- The full list of affected financial institutions. The Newsis article is truncated after naming Shinhan, KB Kookmin, Hana and BNK Busan, so the complete list is unknown.
- Whether the case will be referred to the Serious Crime Investigation Agency. Police said a review of whether the case qualifies for notification is under way, with no decision reported.
- The scale of the hacking and the number of affected customers. Not stated in either document.
- The location where the case is being handled. Neither document states a city for the event.
- Police said they set up a dedicated investigation team of four teams and 28 people to handle the financial-institution hacking case. Reported by a single source so far
- Police said the case was filed under the Information and Communications Network Act. Reported by a single source so far
- Police said they are reviewing whether the case falls under the notification criteria of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency. Reported by a single source so far