Seoul National University has reported 28 hacking incidents targeting its departments and research labs over the past six years, resulting in the exposure of 1,132 personal data records, including identity information and portal IDs. Most of these breaches occurred in 2021.
According to data submitted to Rep. Baek Seung-a of the Democratic Party by the university on October 11, the total number of confirmed hacking incidents from 2021 to the present stands at 28.
By year, the incidents are broken down as follows: eight in 2021, ten in 2022, one in 2024, five in 2025, and four so far this year.
The majority of the incidents were concentrated in department systems, with 19 cases reported. There were six incidents in research lab systems, two in research institutes, and one in an institutional system.
Over the six-year period, a total of 1,132 personal data records were exposed due to hacking. Notably, 99% of these breaches, or 1,130 records, occurred during a single hacking incident in 2021.
During that attack, the perpetrator installed malicious software on the university's server, allowing them to steal identity information and portal IDs of university members.
The remaining two data breaches occurred in 2024, targeting a research institute, where researchers' resumes and background files were leaked. No personal data breaches have been confirmed in other hacking incidents to date.
While no actual harm has been reported, the university has detected hundreds of hacking attempts each year. The number of attempts increased from 561 in 2024 to 575 last year, with 588 attempts recorded so far this year.
Seoul National University stated that these figures represent the number of hacking attempts detected and blocked during security monitoring, emphasizing that they respond immediately to confirmed attacks to prevent further damage and implement necessary security measures.
Meanwhile, as cyberattacks targeting universities continue, incidents of personal data breaches are recurring. According to data submitted by Rep. Jeong Seong-guk of the People Power Party to the Ministry of Education, there were 86 incidents of personal data breaches or exposures at universities nationwide from 2021 to August 2025, affecting approximately 2.55 million individuals.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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