LG Uplus Reports Indications of Server Hacking to Authorities "To Address Public Concern" (Update)

"We Will Actively Cooperate With the Investigation"

On October 23, LG Uplus reported evidence of a possible server hacking incident to the national cybersecurity authorities.

According to the telecommunications industry and other sources, LG Uplus submitted a report regarding server hacking damage to the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) on the same day.

This comes about three months after KISA received a tip-off from a white-hat hacker in July, alleging that the APPM server, which manages insider accounts at LG Uplus, had been hacked.

According to the U.S. cybersecurity media outlet The Prag, which cited the white-hat hacker, a hacker group infiltrated LG Uplus’s internal network using account information obtained by hacking the external security firm SecureKey. The group allegedly stole information from 8,938 servers, 42,256 accounts, and 167 employees.

At the time, LG Uplus conducted its own inspection and, in August, notified the Ministry of Science and ICT that there was no evidence of a cyber breach.

During a National Assembly audit, criticism was raised that after being notified by the authorities about the hacking evidence, LG Uplus attempted to erase traces by either updating the server OS related to APPM or physically disposing of the relevant servers.

An LG Uplus representative stated, “Although no breach has been identified in the investigation so far, this report is a proactive response in accordance with the National Assembly’s recommendations to address public concern and misunderstanding. We will also actively cooperate with the ongoing investigation.”