The Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) has initiated a review of cybersecurity measures in the finance sector amid increasing hacking sophistication driven by advanced artificial intelligence (AI). FSS Chairman Lee Chan-jin emphasized the need for financial company executives to take direct responsibility for security.
On June 12, Lee visited the Financial Security Institute's Cybersecurity Control Center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, to assess the progress of the "2026 First Half Blind Penetration Testing Training" program.
The blind penetration testing involves white-hat hackers attempting surprise attacks without prior notice to the targeted financial institutions, allowing for an evaluation of their hacking detection and defense capabilities as well as emergency response systems.
According to the FSS, the number of companies participating in this year's training has doubled from 20 to 40, following the announcement of a "Proactive Digital Risk Supervision Plan" in April. The training sessions have also been expanded to occur twice a year, with the first half of the training ongoing from May to June.
During his visit, Lee received updates on the current state of cybersecurity monitoring in the finance sector and the progress of the training, reviewing the response processes of financial institutions to distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, server hacking, and simulated intrusion training. He also examined the status of responses to new cyber threats arising from the proliferation of AI services.
Lee stated, "Blind penetration testing is significant for confirming whether a financial institution's defense and recovery systems function properly before an actual incident occurs. Financial companies must continuously assess and improve their cybersecurity readiness."
He added, "In an era where digital finance is becoming commonplace, cybersecurity is a critical management risk directly linked to the stable operations of financial companies and consumer trust. CEOs and executives must verify that their incident response systems can operate effectively in crisis situations and actively pursue budget, personnel, and organizational enhancements."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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