SK Telecom to Develop Technology to Prevent 'SIM Swapping' Crimes by End of May

Concerns Grow Over SIM Swapping as Leaked Data Increases
Solution to Prevent Damage Will Be Completed by End of Month

SK Telecom, which is currently managing the aftermath of the USIM hacking incident, announced that it will develop a technology to prevent 'SIM swapping'?a method in which hackers exploit stolen information to clone a USIM card and use it in another device for illegal activities?by the end of this month.

Jungwhan Ryu, Vice President of SK Telecom (Head of Network Infrastructure Center), appeared at the National Assembly Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Communications Committee hearing on the 8th and said, "If the device's International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) is leaked, the risk increases significantly. We are developing a solution to prevent such incidents within the SK Telecom network." He added, "We began developing this solution last year, and it will be completed by the end of this month. We are currently in the final stage."

When Noh Jongmyun, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party, asked whether he could be 100% certain that there would be no IMEI leakage, Lee Donggeun, Deputy Head of the joint public-private investigation team and Head of the Digital Threat Response Center at the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), responded, "Based on the findings up to the first round of investigations, that is the case. However, we are still considering various possibilities."

Previously, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced that, according to the results of the first investigation, there was no confirmation of IMEI leakage, making SIM swapping impossible. Although information such as phone numbers and subscriber identification keys (IMSI), which could be used for USIM cloning, was leaked, it is not possible to create so-called 'cloned phones' to intercept calls or messages or to steal financial assets.

At the hearing on the SK Telecom USIM hacking incident held on the 8th by the National Assembly Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Communications Committee. Photo by Yonhap News