SK Telecom’s Epic Cyber Fail: A $97M Lesson in What Not to Do
South Korea’s privacy watchdog hit SK Telecom with a record ₩134.5 billion ($97 million) fine for leaving its network wide open to hackers. The breach affected nearly 23 million subscribers. The watchdog noted that SK Telecom didn’t implement basic access controls, making it easy for attackers to extract subscriber information.
Hot Take:
When your network security is as watertight as a colander, expect your data to leak faster than a toddler with a juice box. SK Telecom has just learned that leaving the back door open to hackers is a surefire way to get dinged with a fine bigger than your CEO’s bonus check. Oops.
Key Points:
– SK Telecom hit with a record-breaking ₩134.5 billion ($97 million) fine for data breach.
– Approximately 23 million subscribers affected, nearly half of South Korea’s population.
– Hackers accessed internal systems due to lack of basic security measures.
– Sensitive subscriber data, including USIM keys, left unencrypted.
– SKT ordered to enhance security protocols and monitoring systems.