KB Bank Data Breach Victims Jump to 2,210 From 119 - Seoul Economic Daily

The number of people whose information was exposed in a data breach at KB Kookmin Bank has swelled nearly 19-fold to 2,210 from the 119 initially identified, after a detailed probe uncovered more than 2,000 additional victims. Customer personal data also leaked from MIRAE ASSET Life Insurance, showing that hacking damage across the financial industry has yet to subside.

KB Kookmin Bank confirmed that a detailed analysis of the recent breach, conducted with regulators and related agencies, revealed that the information of 2,091 more people had been exposed. The newly identified victims include 1,631 customers and 460 employees and executives.

Investigation Details

The additional exposure did not stem from a new hacking attack. It surfaced as investigators re-examined data on the system involved in the earlier breach and related processing procedures. The bank said it had continuously cross-checked initial findings with regulators and related agencies.

KB Kookmin Bank plans to notify affected customers individually of the breach and of ways to prevent secondary damage. It is also operating a dedicated call center for reports and consultations.

Wider Industry Impact

The insurance sector has also been hit. MIRAE ASSET Life Insurance detected irregularities on October 25th in its customer application system and parts of its website. A hacker is reported to have accessed about 41 files, but the scale of data exposed is still being determined.

The Financial Supervisory Service began an urgent on-site inspection of MIRAE ASSET Life Insurance on the same day, focusing on the intrusion route, the scale of personal data exposure, and whether consumers suffered any damage.

Hacking incidents have recently struck financial firms across South Korea, affecting banks, savings banks, capital firms, and mutual finance companies. As of October 14th, 16 financial firms had suffered breaches, with personal data exposure reaching about 100,000 cases. An urgent security review of 555 financial companies found management shortcomings at 130 of them.