[Invest&Law] Warning Triggered by Camera Shutter Detection... Companies Struggle Against Outlandish Leakage Methods

Seeking New Measures to Prevent Technology Leaks
Deploying Various Methods Including Stricter Visitor Controls

As the new year begins, South Korean companies at the forefront of the global advanced industry competition are reflecting on last year's series of technology leaks and are now considering new preventive measures. In particular, semiconductor companies such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which experienced notable incidents of technology leakage, are reportedly engaging in active internal discussions from the start of the year.

According to industry sources on January 13, these companies are strengthening their existing internal infrastructure to prevent technology leaks, while also exploring additional measures that could be implemented.

The "camera detection sensor," which was introduced at the beginning of last year and has since become common among companies, is expected to see its functions and roles expanded further. This advanced device detects whether cameras carried by people entering the factory are operational. For example, if an employee attempting to leak technology secretly brings a hidden camera to take photos inside the factory, the sensor detects the periodic "click" of the camera shutter, counts the number of activations, and determines whether this is an abnormal signal. It is reported that the sensor can detect hidden cameras regardless of where they are concealed. If a problem is detected, a warning message is sent to the security department staff, advising them to verify whether the photography was conducted for the purpose of technology leakage.

In addition to these measures, South Korean companies have made various efforts over the past year to prevent technology leaks. Controls over company visitors have also been strengthened. For key production facilities, all cameras and similar features on visitors' electronic devices are covered with stickers, and in some cases, the contents are formatted before the devices are allowed to leave. Access is denied to visitors who do not have a prior reservation, further tightening controls. Recognizing that technology leaks are often perpetrated by individuals, companies require departing employees to sign a pledge not to move to a competitor in the same industry. However, this is largely a formality and does not serve as an effective barrier to job changes. It is only used as a basis for legal action after the fact, once technology has already been leaked through a job change, and cannot reverse the damage.

Despite these efforts, the root of technology leakage remains difficult to eradicate. As countermeasures become more sophisticated, so do the methods of leakage, with the industry describing some cases as "beyond imagination." The case of 10 former Samsung Electronics employees and others, who were indicted en masse by prosecutors on December 23, 2025, shocked both the industry and the legal community. According to prosecutors, the Information Technology Crime Investigation Department of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office indicted five former Samsung Electronics employees and five employees of China's ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) for conspiring to leak Samsung's proprietary 10-nanometer (nm, 1 nm = one hundred millionth of a meter) DRAM process technology to China. The group created so-called "ghost companies" and frequently changed office locations to evade investigators. If any member was banned from leaving the country or arrested, they would send four heart emojis (♥♥♥♥) via a private messenger to alert others of the danger. It was also found that a former Samsung Electronics researcher, referred to as Mr. B, took 600 DRAM process procedures from the Process Recipe Procedure (PRP) by hand-copying them into 12 notebooks when he moved to CXMT.

Companies are increasingly voicing concerns that it is difficult to prevent technology leaks on their own, and that government-level support and relevant legal and institutional frameworks are necessary. An industry official stated, "We need to review the shortcomings of the Act on Prevention and Protection of Industrial Technology Leakage, as well as the National Security Act, and consider raising the level of penalties."