Seoul: SK Group has initiated a special committee on data protection to enhance cybersecurity measures across its affiliates, in response to a significant data breach at SK Telecom Co. The group unveiled this strategic move on Wednesday as part of its ongoing efforts to safeguard sensitive information.
According to Yonhap News Agency, this special committee is established under the SUPEX Council, SK Group's principal advisory body, aimed at proactively identifying and mitigating security risks. The committee will also work towards strengthening the security capabilities of SK Group's affiliates. Chey Chang-won, the chairman of the SUPEX Council, will lead the committee, which includes key affiliates such as SK Corp., SK Innovation Co., SK hynix Inc., and SK Telecom.
To ensure comprehensive expertise and unbiased perspectives, SK Group has incorporated external cybersecurity experts from both academia and industry as members of the committee. Notable members include Professor Choi Kyoung-jin from Gachon University, Professor Lee Byung-young from Seoul National University, and Professor Kim Yong-dae, who previously directed the Cyber Security Research Center at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). This initiative aligns with a commitment made by SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won during a recent media briefing, where he apologized for the breach that potentially jeopardized the personal data of around 25 million SK Telecom users.
The data breach, initially identified on April 18, resulted in a considerable leak of universal subscriber identity module (USIM) data. In response, SK Telecom has pledged to replace the USIMs of all 25 million subscribers, including 2 million budget phone users, at no cost to prevent identity theft or financial fraud. Furthermore, the company has enrolled all users in its USIM protection service, which claims to provide a level of security against unauthorized financial activities equivalent to that of a physical USIM replacement.