South Korea activates 24-hour emergency response following financial sector hacks

South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) have activated a 24-hour emergency response system following a series of hacking incidents in the financial sector. KISA has reinforced its Internet Incident Response Center (KISC) by increasing personnel and operating emergency response teams to monitor major corporate websites and prevent the spread of attacks to other private sectors.

To enhance security, the government is utilizing the Cyber Threat Information Sharing and Analysis Center (C-TAS) to distribute information regarding malware and attacker IP addresses. Approximately 28,000 companies with designated Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) have been advised to conduct security inspections.

During a recent National Assembly audit of the Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee, lawmakers clashed over the government's handling of these cyber threats. Opposition members criticized the Ministry of Science and ICT for allegedly failing to provide sufficient data regarding recent hacks at credit card companies and banks, arguing that the ministry must take full responsibility for cybersecurity in the age of AI-driven threats.