[Exclusive] Marriage Information Company Also Hit... 'Duo' Hacked, Member Personal Information Leaked

Hacking Incident During Lunar New Year Holiday Leads to Data Leak
"Currently Investigating Exact Circumstances and Scale of the Breach"

As online personal information protection has become a social issue, Duo, a matchmaking company with over 30,000 members, experienced a hacking incident resulting in the leakage of members' personal information. Although the scale of the leak has not been determined, members are expressing anxiety due to the variety of personal information held, given the nature of the industry.

Duo hacking apology banner. Duo homepage.

According to Asia Economy's report on the 19th, Duo was hacked on the 28th of last month, the day before the Lunar New Year, and recognized the incident two days later on the 30th. Since the hacking occurred during the extended Lunar New Year holiday, it appears that it took some time to detect the breach. The scope of the leaked information and whether the act was attempted from overseas have not been confirmed.

Duo informed customers of the hacking incident through a banner titled "A Message to Our Customers" on their homepage. The notice stated, "During the recent Lunar New Year holiday, a hacking incident occurred, and we have recognized that your personal information was leaked. We are currently investigating the specific details and scale of the leak, and have taken swift technical measures with the cooperation of specialized agencies to verify the facts and prevent further damage, so please rest assured."

Duo explained that customers' key information was stored in an encrypted state. A Duo representative said, "Since critical information such as customers' dates of birth, mobile phone numbers, and emails are encrypted, even if leaked, the possibility of decoding and using it for other purposes is considered low."

They also mentioned that they are carefully considering responses to customers' compensation requests. The representative emphasized, "We are currently making company-wide efforts to verify the scale and details of the damage. Once the extent and scale of the damage are clearly identified, we plan to establish the best possible measures for our customers."

Due to the nature of the matchmaking industry, members' personal information includes not only basic personal details but also various contents such as individual preferences and family information. This is why members are reacting more sensitively to the 'information leak.' Upon news of the leak, in open chat rooms where matchmaking company members gather, opinions such as "Matchmaking companies hold sensitive information, so just saying 'we will be careful' is not enough" and "I will participate if a class-action lawsuit is filed" were expressed.

Apology banner related to Duo hacking. Duo homepage.

In 2021, personal information was leaked from a dating app due to hacking, and some victims were even threatened by hackers. An industry insider from the matchmaking sector said, "In an era as sensitive to personal information issues as today, (information leaks) are the most cautious aspect in the industry," adding, "Not only basic personal information but also sensitive data such as income certificates, withholding tax statements, real estate registry copies, and bank balance certificates can be leaked, so we are especially careful." However, Duo stated that since they do not digitize income or financial proof documents, such information was not leaked in this hacking incident.

Duo plans to devote all efforts to preventing recurrence and strengthening security following this hacking incident. A Duo representative added, "Immediately after the incident, we installed a solution that sends real-time alerts when illegal access occurs," and explained, "Previously, database access required single-factor authentication, but now we have strengthened measures to add a second authentication step." They also mentioned plans to enhance their response system by consulting with professional security firms.