South Korea’s Lee Jae Myung says AI appears to have been used in bank hacks
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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has called for the country to develop cybersecurity methods suited to the AI era.
PHOTO: REUTERS
- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung stated AI appears to have been used in recent bank hacking incidents, urging swift investigation and enhanced cybersecurity measures suited for the AI era.
- Multiple major South Korean banks, including Shinhan, KB Kookmin, Hana, and Woori, suffered cyberattacks leading to customer data breaches, prompting a full-scale police investigation.
- Financial authorities shared details of hacking attempts and called for high vigilance after similar AI-related hacking efforts were reported in Australia and Canada, highlighting growing AI cybersecurity risks.
AI generated
SEOUL – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Oct 6 that AI models are believed to have been used in some recent hacking incidents against banks and called for the country to develop cybersecurity methods suited to the artificial intelligence era.
“In some hacking incidents, signs have emerged of AI being used, causing considerable public concern and anxiety,” Lee said during a Cabinet meeting.
“Please establish the circumstances swiftly and clearly, and concentrate personnel and resources on minimising the damage.”
The police have launched a full-scale investigation into the hacking attacks against commercial banks that led to a breach of customers’ personal information, the Yonhap news agency reported on Oct 6.
Shinhan Bank, KB Kookmin Bank and others had reported cyberattacks, the Financial Services Commission (FSC) said on Oct 2, while Yonhap reported that Hana Bank and Woori Bank had also suffered breaches.
The authorities have not yet disclosed details on what kind of AI tools were used in the incidents or the scale of the breaches.
On Oct 4, FSC chairman Lee Eog-weon convened an emergency meeting with financial industry associations, regulators and executives from affected institutions, warning that the sector must respond with the highest level of vigilance.
South Korean watchdog Financial Supervisory Service said on Oct 6 that, together with the Financial Security Institute, it had shared the data about 28 unique IP addresses with the financial sector, as well as some country information linked to the recent hacking attempts.
In September, Australia said an OpenAI agent breached a government health data portal in June, gaining unauthorised access to files, in what could be the first known instance of an AI agent hacking a government website.
An AI research firm said last week that AI agents tried to hack into a Canadian government website, casting the effort as a failed hacking attempt, while Canada said there were no indications its systems were compromised. REUTERS