Week 3, 2025 security incident report
Hacking and data breach incidents newly reported 2025.01.13 ~ 01.19
Between 13 and 19 January 2025, eight new incidents were recorded in South Korea, with the leak of 420,000 personal data records at HotelEnjoy being the largest in scale among South Korean incidents with stated figures, while the hacking of Sungsimdang's official Instagram account attracted the most coverage with six articles. Personal data management problems in the public sector came to light, including carelessness by a Gapyeong County office staff member and the exposure of change-of-address reports in Government24 searches, while in the accommodation and travel sector, the HotelEnjoy leak and Yanolja's repeated leaks and security management problems drew attention together. Across all types in South Korea and abroad, there were 31 personal data breaches, 10 hacking/intrusion incidents and 3 ransomware incidents, with personal data breaches dominating. Overseas, 36 new incidents were recorded, with Robinhood's settlement with the SEC attracting attention with 17 articles, while the exposure of information on around 500,000 hotel guests at Otelier and knock-on damage from Exostar to EncompassCare and Newport Harbor Pathology Medical Group, Inc. also occurred.
By type
- Data breach29
- Hacking & intrusion9
- Ransomware3
Key incidents in South Korea
Sungsimdang's official Instagram account hacked
Impact: Official Instagram account compromised
Sungsimdang's official Instagram account was hacked in January 2025. Sungsimdang urged people not to respond to impersonating direct messages. Its online shop had also been hacked earlier.
Related reports: 6 · last report →420,000 personal data records leaked from Hotel Enjoy website
420kImpact: 420,000 personal data records
420,000 personal data records were leaked from the Hotel Enjoy website. Police launched an investigation.
Read on JTBC ↗Staff carelessness at Gapyeong County Office leaks personal data of 92 people
92Impact: Personal information of 92 people
Personal information of 92 people was leaked from the Gapyeong County Office. The leak was attributed to carelessness by a member of staff.
Read on 보안뉴스 ↗Government24 user's change-of-address form exposed on Google search for over 3 days
1Impact: Address, mobile phone number and first part of the resident registration number of one Government24 user
The change-of-address form of one Government24 user was publicly accessible through Google search for at least three days. The user's address, mobile phone number and the first part of the resident registration number were exposed. The search results have been removed, and the exact cause of the exposure is being investigated.
Read on 뉴스1 ↗Court rules no legal basis to punish Bithumb customer data leak
A court ruled that the Bithumb customer data leak could not be punished as there was no applicable legal provision. The timing of the leak, its scale and any follow-up measures have not been confirmed.
Read on 조선일보 ↗Repeated personal data leaks at Yanolja raise security management concerns
Repeated personal data leaks at Yanolja raised concerns about its security management. The timing of the leaks, the extent of the damage and the response have not been confirmed.
Read on 위메이크뉴스 ↗Damages claim over personal data in flat software change dismissed
A resident sued the software supplier and others for damages, claiming personal information had been leaked during a change of the apartment complex's management software, but the claim was dismissed. Whether a leak actually took place and the reasons for the dismissal have not been confirmed.
Read on 아파트관리신문 ↗Privacy controversy over hacking of Ju Jin-mo's phone
Actor Ju Jin-mo faced a privacy controversy related to the hacking of his mobile phone. He later resumed his activities after six years.
Read on 진일보 | 전남일보 ↗
Supply-chain breaches
Exostar issues breach notification over third-party system
Exostar suffered a data breach involving a third-party system. Exostar filed an official data breach notification regarding the incident. The specific scale of the breach and the date of the incident have not been confirmed.
Read on JD Supra ↗
Also affected: 2
Key incidents in other countries
Robinhood settles with SEC over data breach and related violations
A data breach occurred at Robinhood. Robinhood reached a settlement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, agreeing to pay $45 million over the data breach and other violations. The date of the incident, the scale of the breach and the attack method have not been confirmed.
Related reports: 17 · last report →Texas Health and Human Services Commission data breach hits 61,000
61kImpact: 61,000 Texas residents
A data breach at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission affected 61,000 Texas residents. The date of the incident, the types of information exposed, the cause and the response have not been confirmed.
Related reports: 6 · last report →Otelier breach exposes data of around 500,000 hotel guests
500kImpact: Information and booking details of around 500,000 hotel guests
Otelier was breached, exposing hotel guest information and booking details. The scale was later reported as around 500,000 guests, and information related to Marriott and Hilton hotels was also among the data exposed.
Related reports: 5 · last report →Configs and VPN credentials of 15,000 FortiGate devices leaked
Impact: Configuration data and VPN credentials for around 15,000 FortiGate devices
Hackers leaked configuration data and VPN credentials for around 15,000 FortiGate devices. The leaked material was described as historical data, and the exact time of theft and the responses of affected organisations have not been confirmed.
Related reports: 4 · last report →Codefinger ransomware attack targets AWS customers
A Codefinger ransomware attack targeting AWS customers came to light. The attack abused a data protection tool, with the threat that data could not be recovered unless payment was made.
Related reports: 2 · last report →