Seoul: SK Telecom Co. announced Tuesday that approximately 280,000 of its users have successfully replaced their universal subscriber identity module (USIM) chips through a complimentary service initiated in response to a recent hacking incident. The company launched this replacement program to address potential security threats following the cyberattack.
According to Yonhap News Agency, as of 9 a.m., around 4.32 million users have booked USIM replacements online via the service. The program, which began at 10 a.m. on Monday, includes participation from about 2,600 retail stores nationwide, enhancing accessibility for SK Telecom's subscribers.
The replacement service is available to all 25 million SK Telecom subscribers, including nearly 2 million budget phone users, following the cyberattack detected on April 18. SK Telecom identified signs of a significant leak of customers' USIM data and responded by launching the replacement program. Additionally, the company has urged subscribers to enroll in its USIM Protection Service, which it claims provides a similar level of protection against illegal financial activities as the USIM card replacement.
To date, about 8.72 million people have enrolled in the protection service. Combined with the USIM replacements and reservations, the total number of users taking protective measures has reached 13.31 million, according to the company's report.
SK Telecom assured that no financial incidents, such as unauthorized transfers, have occurred using the compromised data so far. Nonetheless, cybersecurity experts warn that hackers could potentially misuse the stolen USIM information for phishing attacks via text messages, KakaoTalk, or email.
The Korea Internet and Security Agency advises the public to avoid clicking on smishing messages, or SMS phishing messages, and to report any such activities to the agency.