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SK Group Chairman Chey Apologizes for Major SK Telecom Data Breach, Pledges Security Overhaul

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SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won issued a public apology on Wednesday following a significant data breach at SK Telecom, South Korea’s largest mobile carrier, which has sparked alarm among its 23 million users over potential theft of personal and financial information.

The breach, detected on April 18, was attributed to a malware attack, and has led to widespread concern and customer action. Thousands have visited SK Telecom outlets to replace their USIM (Universal Subscriber Identity Module) cards, which the company is offering free of charge.

Chey, speaking for the first time since the breach became public, said, “I believe we need to look at this as a matter of national defence, not just (data) security.” He acknowledged a need for a more comprehensive and strategic approach to cybersecurity, noting that the company previously treated such threats as a standard IT issue handled internally.

In response to the breach, SK Telecom has launched a USIM Protection Service, which it says provides equivalent protection to replacing the USIM card. Chey confirmed he enrolled in the service but had not yet replaced his own card.

The chairman also pledged a full-scale security review involving external cybersecurity experts to prevent similar incidents in the future and restore public trust in the company’s data protection capabilities.

FBI Warns of Call Log Breach Following Hack of AT&T’s System

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The FBI has warned its agents that a significant data breach of AT&T’s system last year likely resulted in hackers stealing months’ worth of call and text logs, potentially compromising the identities of confidential informants. This breach, which impacted all FBI devices using AT&T’s public safety network, included sensitive information such as mobile phone numbers and the numbers agents communicated with, according to reports from Bloomberg News.

The breach occurred in April 2022, when hackers downloaded data from around 109 million customer accounts, which included records of calls and texts. The stolen records, while not containing the content of the communications, could still expose sensitive connections between FBI agents and their informants. This raises serious concerns about the security of confidential sources, especially since the breach could link agents to their secret sources.

In a communication to FBI agents across the country, the agency warned that their activities on the AT&T network were likely among the stolen data, putting both agents and their sources at risk. An FBI spokesperson emphasized the agency’s duty to safeguard the identities and safety of its confidential informants, who often provide critical information at great personal risk.

AT&T spokesperson Alex Byers responded to the breach, stating that the company had worked closely with law enforcement to mitigate the impact on government operations following the incident. This breach is part of a broader concern about cyber-espionage targeting U.S. telecom networks. The U.S. government has responded to these threats, including recent steps to counter Chinese-linked cyber-espionage efforts against U.S. telecom companies.

While AT&T and other major telecom firms such as Verizon have confirmed their networks were targeted by cyber hackers, they also assured that their systems are now secure after cooperating with U.S. law enforcement and government agencies.