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Key Points

South Korea's science ministry has launched an official investigation into a purported attempt to sell SK Telecom's client data. The global hacking group Scattered Lapsus$ claimed it would sell the data for $10,000 and threatened to release information on all 27 million users. SK Telecom maintains that the data is fake and no actual breach occurred, calling it likely a scam. This comes amid growing public concern over recent data security incidents involving major South Korean telecom companies.

Key Points: SK Telecom Probes Global Hacking Group Client Data Sale Attempt

  • Global hacking group Scattered Lapsus$ claims to sell SK Telecom client data for $10,000
  • Data allegedly includes IDs, names, phone numbers, emails and birth dates
  • SK Telecom insists all information is fake and no data was leaked
  • Government launches probe amid growing public concern over data breaches
3 min read

S. Korea launches probe into purported attempt to sell SK Telecom client data

South Korea investigates Scattered Lapsus$ hacking group's claim of selling SK Telecom's 27 million user data for $10,000 amid growing security concerns.

"After analysing sample data... we concluded that all of the information is fake - SK Telecom Official"

Seoul, Sep 16

The science ministry said on Tuesday it has launched an official probe into a purported attempt to sell personal data allegedly leaked from South Korea's top mobile carrier SK Telecom Co.

The move came after a global hacking group, Scattered Lapsus$, posted on its Telegram channel that it would sell SK Telecom's client data for US$10,000, adding that 42 South Koreans had already made contact, reports Yonhap news agency.

"After being aware that a global hacking group has seized SK Telecom's client data and is seeking to sell it, we requested the mobile carrier to submit related materials and plan to check the facts through on-site inspections," the Ministry of Science and ICT said.

The group claimed the data includes customers' IDs, names, phone numbers, emails, addresses and birth dates.

The group also threatened SK Telecom, saying it must engage in negotiations or all of the 27 million users' data would be released.

The company reported in April that private data of its entire user base may have been leaked in a cyberattack on its network servers.

The government also recently launched a probe against No. 2 mobile carrier KT Corp., which reported a total of 278 cases of unauthorized mobile payments worth 170 million won ($122,000), raising concerns over a possible leak of customer data.

"The public's concern over the recent series of (data) breaches is growing," an official from the ministry said. "We plan to quickly check facts regarding related allegations and open the result to the public transparently."

SK Telecom, meanwhile, said the batch of client data that the hacking group claims to be selling has never been leaked, suggesting the attempted sale is very likely a scam.

"After analysing sample data, website screenshots and file transfer protocol screens posted on the dark web, we concluded that all of the information is fake, and the website does not exist within our company's system," an SK Telecom official said.

"The 100 GB worth of data as claimed by the hackers was never leaked," the official added.

Citing a report submitted by the Korea Internet & Security Agency, Rep. Choi Soo-jin of the main opposition People Power Party said the hacking group also put the source code for SK Telecom's internal software up for sale for $250,000.

The hacking group maintained it has programmes to intercept text messages and track phone calls in real time as well, while SK Telecom denied such claims.

na/

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rohit P
Scattered Lapsus$ is the same group that targeted Indian companies last year. These hackers are becoming too bold. Governments need to work together internationally to stop them.
A
Arjun K
$10,000 for 27 million users' data? That's shockingly cheap! Shows how little our privacy is worth to these criminals. Makes me worried about my own Airtel/Jio data security.
S
Sarah B
I appreciate that SK Telecom is being transparent about their investigation. Indian telecom companies should learn from this - be upfront about breaches instead of hiding them.
V
Vikram M
Real-time call tracking and SMS interception? That's terrifying! If true, this goes beyond data theft to national security concerns. Hope our Indian agencies are monitoring this group.
M
Michael C
The fact that 42 South Koreans already contacted the hackers to buy the data is the most disturbing part. There's a market for this because people want to misuse personal information.
K
Kavya N
Both SK Telecom and KT Corp facing issues? Seems like a pattern. Maybe South Korean telecom security isn't as strong as we thought. Time for them to invest more in cybersecurity.

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