KB Financial Group Officially Launches 'Cybersecurity Center'... First Among Financial Groups

(From left) Jaeyong Lee, Head of Cybersecurity Center at KB Financial Group (Managing Director), Jungho Park, Head of Tech Infrastructure Division at KB Kookmin Bank, Seokmoon Choi, Compliance Officer at KB Financial Group (Vice President), and Dongchul Shin, Managing Director of Group Business Division at KB Data System are posing for a commemorative photo at the "Group Cybersecurity Center" plaque ceremony held on the 5th at KB Kookmin Bank Yeouido Data Center East Building. Provided by KB Financial Group

KB Financial Group announced on January 6 that it has officially launched the 'Group Cybersecurity Center,' the first of its kind among domestic financial groups.

At the end of last year, KB Financial Group reorganized its structure by moving the holding company's Information Security Department from the IT division to the Compliance Officer's division, and established the 'Group Cybersecurity Center' within the information security organization.

Located in the East Building of the KB Kookmin Bank Yeouido Data Center, the 'Group Cybersecurity Center' will be responsible for establishing a joint response system to external intrusion threats for 12 affiliates, developing a group-wide security framework and standard security policies, and strengthening proactive response systems through research and analysis of new technology security threats such as artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual assets.

The most notable feature of the 'Group Cybersecurity Center' is the simultaneous operation of the 'Red Team' (Cybersecurity Team), which inspects vulnerabilities from an attacker's perspective to prevent and proactively respond to cyber incidents, and the 'Blue Team' (Group Integrated Security Monitoring), a defense specialist organization that detects and blocks external intrusion threats through continuous security monitoring.

The 'Red Team' deploys white-hat hackers from each affiliate to repeatedly conduct simulated hacking and penetration testing on non-face-to-face apps and websites, identifying security vulnerabilities within the group in advance. In collaboration with KB Data System (KBDS), the 'Blue Team' operates a 24/7/365 monitoring system and immediately reports and responds to any abnormal signs. Through the 'organic collaboration of offense and defense,' KB Financial Group can proactively verify cyber intrusion threats and strengthen its real-world defense capabilities.

KB Financial Group operates a continuous inspection system for key services, from the initial stages of new service launches to the entire operation process of core services. This enables the group to preemptively block potential security threats and further enhance service stability. In addition, by building a balanced security system that encompasses both offense and defense, the group aims to minimize the possibility of cyber security incidents in advance.

A KB Financial Group representative stated, "Cyber threats are no longer an issue for individual companies, but have become a core challenge that determines the trust of the entire financial industry," adding, "We will do our utmost to establish a proactive and systematic security system that actively utilizes digital technologies such as AI, setting an exemplary standard for security in the financial sector."