Seoul: SK Telecom Co. announced on Tuesday that it has successfully enrolled over 24 million customers in its universal subscriber identity module (USIM) protection service in the wake of a recent cyberattack targeting the company's network.
According to Yonhap News Agency, as of 9 a.m., approximately 24.1 million subscribers had been integrated into the protection service, as reported during a daily briefing on the company's response to the hacking incident. In an effort to bolster defenses against illegal financial activities, SK Telecom initiated an automatic enrollment system for its users into the USIM protection service last Friday, offering the same level of security as a physical USIM chip replacement.
Following the breach, around 1.04 million users have already switched their USIM cards after the company began offering free replacements. An accumulated total of 7.8 million subscribers have made reservations for new USIM cards. However, the company acknowledges the ongoing challenges, with Kim Hee-sup, head of SK Telecom's Public Relations Center, expressing apologies for the delays in USIM card replacements and assuring efforts to resolve the shortage swiftly.
SK Telecom, recognized as South Korea's largest mobile carrier, identified the cyberattack on April 18, which revealed signs of a significant leak of customers' USIM data. The company's customer base represents nearly half of South Korea's population of approximately 52 million. In response to the breach, SK Telecom has halted new subscriber sign-ups nationwide to comply with government guidance. This suspension will remain in place until the shortage of USIM cards is addressed and enhanced measures for data protection are implemented.