Three South Korean financial firms disclosed data breaches on Wednesday, October 28, including crypto exchange Bithumb, according to Yonhap News Agency. Daishin Securities and Mirae Asset Global Investments also reported hacking incidents on the same day.
Bithumb says trading systems unaffected
Bithumb said its in-house mobile groupware system, used by employees for messaging, scheduling and internal documents, was compromised and that personal information had leaked. The exchange stated that the system has no connection to its trading operations and that its internal systems are kept separate from its trading platforms, so virtual assets are not at risk.
Bithumb is investigating the full scope of the incident, including whether any customer data was compromised. The exchange notified the Korea Internet & Security Agency and the Personal Information Protection Commission on the same day it discovered the breach.
Daishin Securities reports affected customers
Daishin Securities confirmed that approximately 38,490 customers were affected by unauthorized access it detected on October 17. The exposed data included names, email addresses, physical addresses, bank account numbers and mobile phone numbers. The brokerage said it has notified affected customers and is rolling out emergency measures to prevent further damage.
Mirae Asset reports minimal impact
Mirae Asset Global Investments reported a hacking incident that hit some of its business systems. Citing the Financial Supervisory Service, reports indicated minimal risk to customer data and no significant financial losses. The firm said no broad customer data was compromised.
Earlier attacks and PHP warning
The disclosures follow a series of cyberattacks in October. At least 16 South Korean financial institutions were hit earlier in the month, tied to an estimated 100,000 reported data leak cases. With Daishin’s roughly 38,490 affected customers, the count of exposed records across the sector continues to rise.
Separately, the Science Ministry in Seoul and the Korea Internet & Security Agency urged website operators to check their systems for PHP flaws. PHP is a widely used programming language that powers many websites, and vulnerabilities tied to PHP have been exploited in these attacks, according to research findings.
The Financial Supervisory Service has stepped up scrutiny and inspections of financial firms, urging them to fix weak spots and stressing the need for stronger IT security as cyber threats evolve, possibly driven by artificial intelligence.
What’s next for Bithumb users
For Bithumb customers, the immediate question is whether their crypto is safe. The exchange says yes, pointing to the separation between its employee systems and trading platforms. The open question is personal information: until Bithumb finishes its investigation, users cannot know whether their own details were part of the leak.
Key developments to watch include the results of Bithumb’s internal investigation and whether customer data turns out to be involved. Also worth tracking is whether the PHP warning from the Science Ministry and the Korea Internet & Security Agency slows the run of attacks, or whether more disclosures follow before the month is out.
