South Korea No Longer a Safe Zone from 'Cyber Attacks'

KCCI Releases Lecture by Seo Sang-deok, Top Digital Security Expert and CEO of S2W Lab
"Companies Should Focus More on Managing External Leaks than Internal Security"

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Yoon-joo] As cases of damage caused by the dark web, a cyber hotspot exploited as a channel for corporate information leaks and illegal transactions, are increasing, there are calls for proactive responses from Korean companies regarding digital information security.

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) invited Seo Sang-duk, CEO of S2W Lab and an IT security expert, to hold an online lecture titled "Latest Cyberattack Trends Including the Dark Web and Corporate Response Strategies" as part of the "KCCI CEO Insights" series, which was released on the 21st.

CEO Seo said, "In the past, companies focused on strengthening internal security systems to protect information, but recently, the emphasis has shifted to identifying and managing information leaked externally," adding, "The paradigm of corporate security is undergoing significant change."

He cited Amazon Go in the U.S. as an example, stating, "Protecting unmanned stores from thieves is no longer about walls or doors but about CCTV and data installed inside," and noted, "Even if internal security is weak, analyzing data flow well can actually maintain greater safety."

CEO Seo also emphasized, "As data-centric digital transformation accelerates with technologies like the metaverse and cloud, cybercrime is rapidly evolving," and stressed, "Companies that generate and utilize vast amounts of data need to understand the dark web for information protection."

The dark web is a part of the 'deep web' that requires access permissions and can only be reached through specific programs, unlike the general searchable web known as the Surface Web.

CEO Seo expressed concern, saying, "Especially with cryptocurrency Bitcoin emerging as a major payment method and the formation of cyber black markets, the scale of the dark web has exploded," and added, "Recently, there have been numerous cases of domestic companies being targeted with cryptocurrency demands in exchange for leaked corporate secrets."

He explained, "Most internal information such as corporate confidential documents, contracts, and emails are leaked through partners, call centers, overseas branches, and remote workers," and emphasized, "Since companies cannot manage the vulnerable security systems of their partners, it is more important to actively identify how leaked information is being misused."

A KCCI official advised, "Damage caused by the dark web is a serious global issue, as seen in recent U.S. pipeline hacking incidents," and added, "As non-face-to-face work expands domestically due to remote work, security is becoming vulnerable, so companies must strengthen monitoring of new cyber threats and continuously improve security systems."

CEO Seo’s lecture can be viewed from May 21 on YouTube (Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Insights) and the KCCI website’s ‘Online Seminar’ section.