"127 Ransomware Attacks Last Year" Ministry of Science and ICT Operates Response Support Team

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 19th that ransomware attacks aimed at financial gain are increasing against domestic and international companies, and it has established and is operating a 'Ransomware Response Support Team' to prevent and respond swiftly to such attacks.

This team, led by the Ministry's Information Security Network Policy Officer, will operate 24-hour reporting reception and analysis, and support recovery from damages. It is installed within the Internet Incident Response Center (KISC) at the Korea Internet & Security Agency.

Ransomware refers to malicious programs that lock systems or encrypt data to make them unusable, then demand money by holding the data hostage. Recently, a top 10 domestic delivery platform company was attacked, causing damage to 35,000 stores nationwide and 15,000 riders.

Looking at the ransomware report status (KISC) in Korea over the past three years, the number of cases surged 325% from 39 in 2019 to 127 last year. This year, as of May 16, 55 cases have been reported.

The Ministry of Science and ICT emphasized the following key countermeasures to prevent ransomware damage: ▲ use the latest version software and apply security updates ▲ be cautious when clicking on emails and URL links from unknown sources ▲ be careful when downloading files from file-sharing sites ▲ regularly back up important data.

In particular, there are cases where ransomware attackers demand money under the pretext of data recovery but do not provide the recovery key properly and disappear after extorting money. The Ministry advises against negotiating with those demanding money, as doing so may cause further victims and negative effects, and recommends reporting incidents to receive technical support such as system recovery.

Hong Jin-bae, Information Security Network Policy Officer, stated, “Since data recovery is virtually impossible once infected with ransomware, prevention such as backing up using external media is the best measure. If there is suspicion of ransomware infection or other security incidents, please report the incident through the 118 Center without an area code or the BohoNara website to receive technical support.”