The South Korean government marked its 13th Information Security Day with a conference and celebration. The event brought together domestic and international cybersecurity leaders and experts for keynotes, awards, and speeches.
Every second Wednesday of July is designated as Information Security Day by the South Korean government. The 13th Information Security Day event was held in Seoul, South Korea, featuring keynotes from three cybersecurity leaders, a conference with ten security experts, and an exhibition showcasing 18 security companies.
The event was hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), and the National Intelligence Service (NIS), entities responsible for ensuring South Korea’s security.
During the keynote, Dimitri Kusnezov, Under Secretary for Science and Technology at the United States Department of Homeland Security, expressed concern about the growing sophistication of current cyber technology.
“These days, various new technologies, from beyond 5G to 6G and incorporating quantum 7G, are creating a whole new set of cyber threats,” said Kusnezov. He emphasized that these threats cannot be addressed in the same manner as before, stressing the need to develop new and more effective security responses to combat them.
Kusnezov also emphasized that “the U.S. and South Korean governments must work closely together to respond to cyber threats, including those stemming from new technologies.”
Another keynote speaker, Lim Jong-in, Special Advisor to the President for Cyber Issues, delivered a speech on the threats and opportunities posed by artificial intelligence. Lim also emphasized the necessity of a robust security response capable of addressing emerging new cyber threats.
“AI is challenging traditional security solutions. As new technologies develop, cybersecurity and privacy issues will become increasingly important,” said Lim during his keynote address. “The information security industry in Korea needs to further develop to effectively respond to these changes.”
While South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol did not attend the event, he conveyed congratulatory messages through a proxy statement.
President Yoon stated in a message, “Advances in AI technology provide us with digital innovation, but they also bring sophisticated and intelligent threats.” He emphasized, “Governments must strengthen cooperation with the international community to effectively respond to cyber threats from around the world.”
Related article: Tackling phishing attacks becomes top priority for South Korea, expert asserts
South Koreans should be cautious of email phishing scams as they are the most prolific attacks deployed against the country, warned a cybersecurity expert on Wednesday.
“A lot of people underestimate the impact of email-based attacks. Even security experts regard them as something harmless that they encounter every day,” said Mun Chong-hyun, director of the security center at the South Korean cybersecurity firm Genians, during a speech at the International Conference on Information Security (ICIS). “This is not true. More than 74% of the attacks targeting South Koreans are conducted through email.”
The director added that the attackers are sending emails so meticulously that it is almost impossible for victims to discover the senders’ identity. He shared an actual phishing email sent to one of the country’s North Korean experts in January. In the document, the hackers presented themselves as a staff member of a peace forum which the target was planning to attend. The attackers used the conference as a lure to bait the victim into clicking the malicious file attached to the email. READ MORE
