Shinhan, KB Kookmin data breaches raise concerns over AI-powered cyberattacks

A series of data breaches at Shinhan Bank and KB Kookmin Bank, two of Korea’s largest commercial banks, has heightened concerns in the financial sector over increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks using artificial intelligence (AI). On Friday, KB Kookmin Bank said that personal information belonging to 119 customers was leaked after abnormal external access to a mobile system used by employees. The leaked information varied by customer and included names, phone numbers, addresses and resident registration numbers in encrypted format. The bank stressed that the compromised system provides mobile access to work tools for staff and does not handle customer transactions, including online and mobile banking. It also pledged to fully compensate for any losses resulting from the data breach. "We have activated an emergency response system across the company, including a thorough review of all our processes to prevent further damage and recurrence," a bank official said. The incident came a day after Shinhan Bank disclosed a data breach affecting about 25,000 customers. Shinhan said an unauthor