Week 31, 2024 security incident report
Hacking and data breach incidents newly reported 2024.07.29 ~ 08.04
From July 29 to August 4, 2024, eight new incidents were recorded in South Korea, with the hacking of Jeonbuk National University's integrated information system, which leaked 322,130 personal records, drawing the most attention. The leak of private videos following IP camera hacks and the redistribution on Telegram of personal data leaked from Balmers Korean Medicine Clinic revealed patterns of privacy violation and the re-spread of previously leaked information. Deceptive tactics impersonating companies and transaction procedures also stood out, including phishing emails impersonating CJ CheilJedang, false notices to Baemin store owners asking them to submit customer information, and smishing impersonating TMON and WeMakePrice refunds and deliveries. Overseas, ransomware damage continued, including the theft of information on 500,000 people from the City of Columbus and disruptions to OneBlood's blood supply, while a leak of personal data of 4.3 million people at HealthEquity and a roughly nine-hour service outage at Microsoft caused by a DDoS attack also occurred.
By type
- Data breach13
- Ransomware7
- Hacking & intrusion6
- Phishing & smishing4
- DDoS2
Key incidents in South Korea
Jeonbuk National University integrated information system hacked, personal data leaked
322.1KImpact: 322,130 personal data records
On July 28, 2024, Jeonbuk National University's integrated information system OASIS was hacked, leaking the names, resident registration numbers, contact details and academic records of students, graduates and lifelong education center members, among others. The university detected the attack on July 29, blocked the access path and patched the vulnerability, and later strengthened two-factor authentication. The investigation found vulnerabilities such as in the password recovery function and poor monitoring at night and on weekends, and the university was fined about 620 million won.
Related reports: 26 · last report →National university hack leaks personal data of 320,000
320KImpact: Personal information of 320,000 people
A national university was hacked, leaking the personal information of 320,000 people. The name of the affected university and its specific response have not been confirmed.
Read on KBS 뉴스 ↗IP camera hacking leaks 180 private videos
180Impact: 180 private videos
Hacking of IP cameras led to the unauthorized leak of 180 private videos. The specific victims and the date of the incident have not been confirmed.
Read on 보안뉴스 ↗Phishing emails impersonating CJ CheilJedang sent at random via Gmail
Phishing emails impersonating CJ CheilJedang were sent at random through Gmail accounts. People were urged to be cautious about the impersonation emails; whether any actual damage occurred and its extent have not been confirmed.
Read on 메가경제 ↗Lessons from the Interpark personal data breach
The Interpark personal data breach was revisited and its lessons discussed. The specific date of the incident, the extent of the damage, how the data was leaked, and the response have not been confirmed.
Read on 보안뉴스 ↗Personal data leaked from Balmers Korean Medicine Clinic recirculated on Telegram
Personal information from Balmers Korean Medicine Clinic was leaked and posted on a black market, then recirculated via Telegram. When the leak occurred, its scale, its cause, and the response have not been confirmed.
Read on 보안뉴스 ↗Fake notifications ask some Baemin store owners to submit customer data
Impact: Fake notification messages sent to some store owners
Fake notification messages demanding the submission of customer information were sent to some Baemin store owners. Suspicions of a server hack were raised, but whether a hack occurred, its scale, and the response have not been confirmed.
Read on 데일리시사닷컴 ↗Smishing texts impersonating TMON and WeMakePrice refunds and deliveries spread
Smishing text messages impersonating TMON and WeMakePrice refunds and product deliveries were detected. The messages linked to pages impersonating the Korea Consumer Agency and Naver, luring recipients into installing malicious apps or entering account credentials. The actual extent of financial losses has not been confirmed.
Read on 뉴시스 ↗
Key incidents in other countries
Ransomware attack on US city of Columbus steals data of 500,000 people
500KImpact: Personal and financial information of 500,000 people
The US city of Columbus was hit by a ransomware attack in July 2024 that stole personal and financial information of 500,000 people. Rhysida, which claimed the attack, put the stolen data up for auction and then published it on the dark web. The city initially denied any personal data leak but later acknowledged that residents' information had been exposed and notified those affected.
Related reports: 27 · last report →OneBlood ransomware attack disrupts blood supply, donor data stolen
Impact: Disruption of blood collection, testing and supply, and theft of donors' names and Social Security numbers
US blood supplier OneBlood suffered virtual machine encryption and system outages in a ransomware attack in July 2024. The switch to manual processes delayed blood collection, testing and distribution and sharply reduced operational capacity. A subsequent investigation confirmed that the attackers accessed the network and copied files from July 14 to 29, and that donors' names and Social Security numbers were also stolen.
Related reports: 13 · last report →Ransomware attack on US city government raises fears of personal data leak
A US city government was hit by a ransomware attack, and the hacker group that claimed responsibility demanded a ransom of about $2 million. Concerns were then raised that city employees' personal information may have been hacked, and criticism followed over the large-scale data leak and the city government's response.
Related reports: 5 · last report →Voting machine data leaked in Mesa County, US
Impact: Voting machine data
Voting machine data was leaked in Mesa County, Colorado, in the US. Election official Tina Peters stood trial in connection with the case and was found guilty on most charges in August 2024. A programmer whose identity had been stolen testified at the trial that he had feared being framed by the government.
Related reports: 5 · last report →DDoS attack disrupts major Microsoft services for about 9 hours
Impact: About nine hours of outages and instability in Azure, Microsoft 365 and other services
On July 30, a DDoS attack caused multiple Microsoft services, including Azure and Microsoft 365, to go down or become unstable for about nine hours. Outlook and the Starbucks app, among others, were also affected. Microsoft explained that an error in the implementation of its defenses amplified the impact of the attack.
Related reports: 4 · last report →