Skip to main menuSkip to more DW sitesLatest videosLatest audioRegionsAfricaAsiaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastNorth AmericaGermanyTopicsClimateEqualityHealthHuman RightsMigrationTechnologyCategoriesBusinessScienceEnvironmentCultureSportsIn focusIsraelNobel PrizeUkraineLatest audioLatest videosLive TVAdvertisementPoliticsSouth KoreaSouth Korea warns of AI hacking after bank data breachesJulian Ryall10/08/2026October 8, 2026Seoul is alarmed after a recent breach of South Korean banks' cyber defenses that reportedly involved AI-assisted hacking. Officials warn such methods could be used to also target other sectors and government agencies.
https://p.dw.com/p/5NxkoThe seriousness of the incident goes far beyond the simple exposure of personal informationImage: Loïc Déquier/PHOTOPQR/SUD OUEST/picture allianceAdvertisementThe South Korean government has demanded a comprehensive overhaul of safeguards against hackers after seven of the nation's major financial institutions' cyber defenses were breached last week and the private data of thousands of customers was leaked.
The data breaches go beyond the financial sector, with two of the largest churches in the country and Korea Electric Power Corp. on Wednesday confirming that their online systems had been illegally accessed, although it is not clear whether the same perpetrator was responsible for all the attacks.
"This is a serious situation because this incident is believed to have taken advantage of artificial intelligence, and if AI is used in phishing attacks, it could lead to secondary damage," Yonhap News quoted Han as saying at a Cabinet meeting.
"It is also a serious situation in that similar hacking methods could spread beyond the financial sector to industries, as well as government and public sectors."
This article was aggregated automatically by CyberWire Daily's newsfeed engine. Original reporting: www.dw.com.
