The National Assembly's Financial Services Committee has selected the leaders of five major banks to testify regarding recent hacking incidents and data breaches in the financial sector. This move is expected to intensify scrutiny over the vulnerabilities in the financial security systems and the response protocols following these incidents.
According to the list of witnesses approved by the committee on October 8, the bank executives include Lee Hwan-joo of KB Kookmin Bank, Jeong Sang-hyeok of Shinhan Bank, Lee Ho-seong of Hana Bank, Jeong Jin-wan of Woori Bank, and Kang Tae-young of NH Nonghyup Bank. They are required to appear on October 19, with the main focus being the examination of the hacking incidents in the financial sector.
This decision comes in response to a series of attempted external breaches and data leaks affecting major banks. Personal data breaches have been confirmed at Shinhan, KB Kookmin, and Hana banks, while Woori and NH Nonghyup banks have faced attack attempts, though no data leaks have been reported so far.
The committee is expected to address key issues such as the security systems of each bank, the level of external access control, detection of unusual access, and the response processes following incidents. Given that similar attack methods have been identified at some banks, the adequacy of information sharing among financial institutions and the preemptive measures taken by financial authorities will also be scrutinized.
The supervisory responsibilities of financial authorities are likely to come under the spotlight as well. The Financial Services Commission held an emergency meeting on October 4, urging a review of security measures and enhancements to external access controls. The Financial Supervisory Service has also begun on-site inspections related to the data breach at Shinhan Bank.
If the five bank executives attend, discussions will likely center on the accountability of bank management regarding the series of hacking incidents and measures to prevent future occurrences.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.