President Lee Jae Myung said Tuesday that AI tools appear to have been used in hacks on South Korean banks, as police opened a full investigation into breaches reported at several lenders.
President Lee Jae Myung said on Tuesday that signs had emerged of artificial intelligence being used in recent hacking incidents against South Korean banks. Speaking at a cabinet meeting, he asked officials to establish the facts quickly and to concentrate resources on limiting damage.
Police opened a full investigation into attacks that exposed customer information, Yonhap reported. The Financial Services Commission said on Friday that Shinhan Bank, KB Kookmin Bank and others had reported cyberattacks. The Korea Herald later listed breaches at seven firms: Shinhan, KB Kookmin, Hana, BNK Busan, Yegaram Savings Bank, Welcome Savings Bank and Hyundai Capital.
The Herald put combined exposure at about 66,000 individuals and 2,200 corporate records. Shinhan’s affected customer count was reported at 25,729 and Yegaram’s at about 40,000. Exposed fields included names and phone numbers and, in some cases, resident registration numbers, income and loan limits. Woori Bank and NH NongHyup were reported to have faced similar attempts, without confirmed leaks.
The Financial Supervisory Service and the Financial Security Institute shared 28 unique IP addresses and some country information with the sector on Tuesday. Details of any AI tools have not been published by the government. Korea University professor Kim Seung-joo told CBS radio the attacks may have involved a tool called ARTEX that uses AI to find weaknesses.
Firms were told to finish security checks by Thursday. Lee said the country needed cybersecurity methods suited to the AI era.
People Sentiments Negative
- Lee said the incidents were causing considerable public concern and anxiety.
- Kim Seung-joo warned that AI hacking tools would make attacks easier for non-experts.