Aton "Preventing Phishing Crimes through Website Verification"

Fintech security group Aton announced on the 24th that it has obtained a technology patent for a ‘Website Verification Method and System’ to prevent voice phishing and smishing damage. Along with the previously acquired technology patent for the ‘Message Verification Method and System,’ this further enhances the technological reliability of the newly commercialized ‘Anti-Phishing and Safe Browsing’ service.

The new patent focuses on automatically detecting phishing sites accessed by mobile browsers through a verification module installed on the user’s mobile device either as a separate app or in-app format, thereby preventing phishing crimes. Previously, users could not verify the authenticity of URL services when accessing the internet via mobile browsers, which could lead to phishing damage if they entered information requested by fraudulent sites. This new method is expected to prevent such incidents.

Aton completed the commercialization of the new ‘Smishing Prevention and Safe Browsing’ service in March and is preparing to supply phishing response services within the industry. This service analyzes text messages or site (access, navigation) content sent to mobile devices to detect and verify unsafe websites, dangerous links, and text messages, enabling real-time risk blocking.

As phishing messages have diversified into content commonly encountered in daily life, related damages have increased. According to the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), the number of detected and responded smishing impersonation cases in 2023 recorded over 500,000, after a declining trend from approximately 950,000 cases in 2020, 202,000 cases in 2021, and 37,000 cases in 2022. Cases impersonating public institutions accounted for a significant proportion.

Woo Gil-su, CEO of Aton, stated, "Phishing crimes are rapidly increasing using messages commonly encountered in daily life as bait, especially with the rise of large-scale phishing messages originating overseas," adding, "Aton has gained significant momentum in advancing its business by enhancing the technological competitiveness and reliability of its phishing security services."