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| ▲ KT CEO Kim Young-shub (R) bows in apology over a major data breach reported in September to the public during a press briefing in Seoul, in this file photo from Dec. 30, 2025. (Yonhap) |
cybersecurity breach-tally
Cybersecurity breaches up 26 pct in 2025 amid growing AI-based threats
By Kang Yoon-seung
SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Yonhap) -- The number of cybersecurity breaches reported to authorities rose 26 percent from a year earlier in 2025, a government report showed Tuesday, as hackers continue to develop their attack tactics based on artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.
The total number of cybersecurity breaches came to 2,383 in 2025, compared with 1,887 tallied a year earlier, according to the report by the Ministry of Science and ICT.
Of the cases, server intrusions accounted for 44.2 percent, followed by distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks at 24.7 percent.
Cybersecurity breaches involving malicious code, including ransomware, accounted for 14.9 percent of the reported intrusions, the science ministry said.
In 2025, South Korea experienced a series of cyberattacks on platforms closely connected to people's daily lives, including mobile networks and financial services, it noted.
"The scope of hackers' targets has expanded to the education and medical sectors, beyond previous targets that included research, manufacturing and energy institutions," the science ministry said in the report.
"Hacking tactics are becoming more advanced through AI-based automation and coordinated attacks," it added.
In 2026, hackers may even seek to infiltrate "trust-based communication methods," such as real-time voice calls for virtual meetings, using deepfake technology that generates voices and videos, according to the ministry.
They may also directly target existing AI models, the ministry said.
"Attackers may inject malicious information into chatbots, analysis programs or security platforms to cause malfunctions or information leaks," it said, calling on businesses to enhance their security readiness.
"The government will operate AI-based prevention and response programs and take preemptive actions to address security blind spots to create a reliable cyber environment."
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