Data breach reports have surged, yet on-site investigations have only been conducted in 5.7% of cases.
On October 13, Park Seong-hoon, a member of the National Assembly's Political Affairs Committee, revealed that among the 579 data breach reports received from January to August this year, only 33 had undergone on-site investigations by the end of September. This represents just 5.7% of the total reports.
The Personal Information Protection Commission explained that due to the increase in breach reports, they are initially verifying the facts surrounding the incidents through written inquiries, including requests for documentation regarding the scale and circumstances of the breaches. They plan to conduct on-site investigations sequentially, considering the urgency and severity of each case.
However, there are concerns that as breach reports continue to rise, the capacity for on-site investigations and initial response efforts must be strengthened. Relying solely on written inquiries may limit the ability to identify security vulnerabilities or the circumstances of the breaches at the incident sites, necessitating a review of the system for selecting and responding to cases requiring prompt on-site verification.
Park noted that in the context of increasing data breaches and hacking incidents, a response strategy focused only on written inquiries may not effectively prevent the rapid spread of damage. He emphasized, “As citizens' financial and personal information becomes a target for hackers, regulatory authorities must not miss the critical window to prevent further damage by merely reviewing documents. There needs to be a reassessment of on-site investigations and preventive measures for high-risk institutions.”
Indeed, the number of data breach reports is on the rise. The 579 reports filed from January to August this year exceed last year's total of 447 by 132 cases, marking a 29.5% increase. Yearly figures show an increase from 167 reports in 2022 to 318 in 2023, a slight decrease to 307 in 2024, followed by a rise to 447 last year.
A significant portion of the breaches is attributed to hacking. Of the 447 total breach reports last year, 276, or 61.7%, were due to hacking incidents. Notably, reports of breaches caused by hacking in private companies rose from 47 in 2022 to 136 in 2023. Although the number remained similar at 135 in 2024, it surged again to 232 last year.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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