Hacking wave hits financial sector, prompting emergency checks across industries

As the fallout from the financial sector hacking crisis continued to spread, industries outside banking launched emergency security checks during the holiday period. Although non-financial companies generally hold less sensitive personal data than banks, the broad, cross-sector nature of the attacks prompted firms to raise their level of preparedness.

On Monday, companies in electronics, automotive, construction and aviation began reviewing their internal information-security systems for any signs of compromise. Electronics and home-appliance makers blocked hacker IP addresses published by the Financial Security Institute and conducted emergency security checks. "Following government recommendations to strengthen security against recent cyberattacks, we checked for major vulnerabilities and any signs of data exposure," an industry official said. "There have been no indications of data leaks or external attacks so far."

Companies also stepped up identification and protection measures at external contact points they had already been monitoring on a routine basis. They plan to address any vulnerabilities discovered and reinforce security systems, including external threat monitoring and data encryption. Firms are also pushing to raise cybersecurity awareness among employees through training on information security and data-leak prevention.

Major construction companies said they plan to check for possible leaks of personal data belonging to apartment pre-sale customers and buyers. "No hacking damage has been confirmed, and no emergency inspection order has come down," an official at a large construction company said. "But we expect to take steps such as reviewing the current situation and examining contingency plans in case personal information related to apartment pre-sale contracts has been exposed."

The steel industry also launched emergency checks. A Posco Holdings official said the company had detected no hacking attempts targeting customer data but had conducted an emergency review to check for similar vulnerabilities. "Instead of having staff check manually, we have introduced an AI agent from a specialized firm to run automated penetration tests on critical systems on a regular basis," the official added. A Hyundai Steel official said there had been no unusual incidents related to hacking as of Monday.

Automakers said they had not been affected. A Hyundai Motor official said the company's security team conducts ongoing checks and follows inspection guidelines recommended by the government and relevant agencies.

The aviation industry also reported no customer data breaches. A Korean Air official said the company carries out continuous security checks given the sensitive nature of the passenger personal data it handles.