South Korean cryptocurrency exchange Bithumb has suffered a data breach that exposed personal information linked to several hundred customer records, according to reports published on October 29.
The incident initially appeared to involve employee information, but a deeper investigation revealed that customer data had also been exposed, according to Bloomingbit and Yonhap News Agency.
The breach occurred on October 27 after an unauthorized party gained access to Bithumb’s internal mobile groupware system, which employees use for work-related communication and information sharing. The exchange reported the incident to South Korea’s relevant authorities, including the Korea Internet and Security Agency and the Personal Information Protection Commission, and began investigating the extent of the exposure. The exact types of customer information affected and the total number of individuals involved have not been publicly disclosed.
Bithumb has said its internal employee system operates separately from the network supporting its cryptocurrency trading platform. As a result, the company says the incident could not be used to access customers’ cryptocurrency assets through the compromised system. However, the exposure of personal information could still raise concerns about potential phishing attempts and other scams targeting affected customers. CoinDesk previously reported that the exchange was investigating the possibility of customer data exposure before the broader scope was reported.
The incident is part of a wider wave of cyberattacks affecting South Korea’s financial sector. Yonhap reported that Daishin Securities confirmed a breach affecting 38,490 customers, with exposed information including names, email addresses and mobile phone numbers. The brokerage said it was investigating the incident with authorities and had notified affected customers.
Mirae Asset Global Investments also reported unauthorized access to some of its online systems. According to KBS World, the company had not identified evidence of a customer data leak at the time of its report, while financial authorities began examining the incident.
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The separate incidents have intensified concerns about cybersecurity across South Korea’s financial industry. Investigations into the breaches are ongoing, and further details about the information exposed at Bithumb remain undisclosed.
