SKT ends post-cyberattack subscription pause | Total Telecom

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The South Korean mobile operator will resume subscriber acquisition while continuing to issue replacement USIM cards to existing customers affected by the attack

Earlier this year, SK Telecom (SKT) released details of a major cybersecurity breach that saw data from up to 26.9 million customers compromised. The cyberattack took place in the summer of 2022, but was not discovered and reported to the Korea Internet and Security Agency (KISA) until April this year.

The attack reportedly impacted 23 of SKT’s servers, with roughly 9.32 gigabytes of USIM-related data, including 26.9 million International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) numbers, potentially being exfiltrated by cyber criminals.

In response to the breach, SKT quickly announced it would replace impacted customer USIM cards for free. The subsequent rush for USIM replacements quickly caused a national shortage, leading the government to step in and advise SKT to pause customer acquisition until its USIM stocks were replenished.

SKT followed this guidance, suspending subscriber recruitment for the past two months.

Today, the South Korean Ministry of Science and ICT has announced that it will lift its administrative guidance, allowing SKT to once again begin acquiring subscribers for their mobile services.

“SK Telecom has secured sufficient USIM inventory to meet replacement demands and has successfully implemented and stabilized a new reservation system,” the ministry said. “As the objectives of the administrative guidance regarding USIM shortages have been met, we have decided to lift the suspension of new business activities.”

It should be noted that this news does not mean SKT has replaced all affected customer USIMs, with the ministry urging SKT to continue to prioritise these replacements.

“We are ready to welcome new customers after successfully focusing on USIM replacements for existing subscribers,” said an SKT official in a statement. “Support for those affected by the cyberattack will continue as part of our ongoing recovery efforts.”

While this marks a major positive step in SKT’s recovery effort following the cyberattack, the full impact to the business remains to be seen. The incident has led to many thousands of customers moving to rival operators, with SKT’s CEO, Ryu Young-sang, suggesting that the total number of lost customers could reach 2.5 million, potentially costing the company up to $5 billion in lost revenue over the next three years.

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