Key facts
- The National Intelligence Service asked 2,100 public institutions to run their own security checks against a checklist, government sources said.
- The agency flagged management of attack entry points, operation of security monitoring systems and application of security patches as priorities.
- The agency is separately assessing internet-facing systems at public facilities designated as critical information and communications infrastructure.
- Cyberattacks on banks, savings banks and insurance companies exposed about 100,000 cases of personal information across the industry.
South Korea's National Intelligence Service asked 2,100 public institutions to carry out emergency cybersecurity inspections, government sources said on November 3, after a series of cyberattacks on financial firms exposed customer data.
The agency told central government agencies and local governments to run their own security checks against a checklist, the sources said. It called for particular attention to management of potential cyberattack entry points, operation of security monitoring systems and application of security patches.
Separately, the National Intelligence Service said it would conduct its own vulnerability assessments of critical information and communications infrastructure in the public sector under its jurisdiction, with those assessments expected to be completed by mid-November. It is also assessing internet-facing systems at public facilities designated as critical information and communications infrastructure.
Banks, savings banks and insurance companies were hit by a series of cyberattacks in October 2026, exposing about 100,000 cases of personal information across the industry, including email addresses, names and phone numbers, according to the sources.