Financial Services Commission Chairman Lee Eok-won has called for the highest level of vigilance from the financial sector, stating that the possibility of attacks utilizing artificial intelligence cannot be ruled out in light of recent hacking attacks and data breaches in the industry.

Chairperson Lee held an emergency inspection meeting with the entire financial sector concerning recent cyber threat responses at the Seoul Government Complex on the afternoon of the 4th, stating, "A large number of security breaches have been discovered over a short period across various sectors, not only major commercial banks but also savings banks and capital companies."

He added, "The entire financial sector must recognize the current situation with utmost gravity and maintain the highest level of vigilance."

Regarding the characteristics of these recent hacking attacks, he explained, "Cases have been confirmed where areas receiving relatively less management attention, such as external web pages and servers used by loan brokers and employees for work convenience, were targeted."

He further pointed out, "No matter how robust a security system is, a single unmanaged loophole can become a vulnerability for the entire system."

Regarding the leaked information, Chairperson Lee stated, "As of now, no circumstances have been confirmed indicating the leakage of sensitive information that could be directly used for unauthorized payments."

However, he warned, "The possibility of secondary damages, such as voice phishing or smishing exploiting the leaked information, cannot be ruled out," urging authorities to maintain vigilance and respond proactively.

(Photo: Yonhap News)