Your Information Might Have Been Leaked Too — Personal Data Breaches Up 45.6% From Last Year, 3 Things You Need to Check Right Now

 

You get a random text from an unknown number one day. "Hello, we've confirmed your loan eligibility." Or you get a call from someone who's not your bank saying "We need to verify your identity." At first you think it's just spam, but then you realize they actually know your name and phone number correctly. Creepy, right? But here's the thing—this might not be happening to someone else. It could be happening to you.

📋 Table of Contents

1. Just how much information has been leaked?
2. The many ways your info gets out there
3. 3 things you need to check right now
4. Frequently Asked Questions

Just how much information has been leaked?

According to the Personal Information Protection Commission (the government agency that protects personal data) in 2024, the number of personal information breach reports jumped 45.6% compared to the previous year. That's almost a 50% increase. I was honestly shocked when I saw that number.

What's especially striking this time is that breaches caused by hacking have exploded. In the past, it was usually employee mistakes like sending emails to the wrong person or losing documents. But nowadays, external hackers are breaking into company systems and stealing hundreds of thousands or even millions of people's information all at once. And the fines imposed on companies for these breaches alone came to a whopping 167.7 billion won. That's a massive amount, right?

Category	Details
Breach Report Increase Rate	45.6% increase from previous year
Main Cause of Breaches	Hacking (external intrusion)
Total Fines Imposed	167.7 billion won
Authority Imposing Fines	Personal Information Protection Commission

Look, 167.7 billion won in fines is a huge amount, but if my information is already floating around somewhere out there, no amount of money can bring it back, right? So what's really important here isn't the number itself—it's "what do I do about it right now?"

The many ways your info gets out there

But when you hear the word "hacking," it feels like something that happens to other people, doesn't it? You picture some guy in a hoodie from the movies typing away at a keyboard? The thing is, hacking attacks are happening right now on the services we use every day.

Shopping malls, delivery apps, gym apps, real estate platforms, even your neighborhood clinic's reservation system. When hackers attack these places, all the information you entered when you signed up—your name, phone number, email, address, date of birth—gets stolen at once. You didn't do anything wrong, but you become a victim anyway.

Warning Leaked information is quietly being traded. Hackers sell stolen personal data on the dark web (a shadowy internet space that's inaccessible through normal search). Even if my information is up there, I'd have almost no way of knowing. That's why it's so important to check proactively and prepare ahead of time.

Here's another scary part: leaked information doesn't always lead to damage right away. Hackers sometimes collect information and use it months or even years later. So information leaked from a service you signed up for ages ago could be used to attack you right now.

TIP Even if you think "I haven't signed up for much," it's worth taking time to list out all the sites and apps you've registered with. You'll probably be surprised by how many there are. Event sign-ups, free coupon offers, apps you tried out just once—they all add up.

3 things you need to check right now

Okay, now for the really important part. I didn't write this to scare you—I wrote it because I want to show you what you can actually do about it. It's not complicated. Just do these 3 things today.

1

Check if your personal information has been leaked. You can check if your email or phone number has ever been leaked by using the services operated by the Personal Information Protection Commission: 'Personal Information Breach Reporting Center'(privacy.kisa.or.kr) or 'Find My Leaked Information'(kidc.eprivacy.go.kr). It's free and you just need to verify your identity. It takes less than 5 minutes. Seriously, finish reading this article and go do it right now.

2

Change your old passwords and any passwords you've reused. Let's be honest—so many people use the same password across multiple sites because it's just easier. But that's really dangerous. If your information leaks from one place, hackers will try to log into other sites using that same password. This is called 'credential stuffing' (an attack where hackers automatically try the same username and password across multiple sites). Start with your important accounts—financial sites, email, Naver, Kakao—and make sure they all have different passwords.

3

Turn on two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication is when you verify your identity a second time through text message or an app, not just with your password. Even if your password gets compromised, login will be blocked if this is turned on. You can set up two-factor authentication on Naver, Kakao, Google, Instagram—they all have it in their settings. It might feel like a hassle, but there's no better way to protect your account.

TIP If managing passwords feels overwhelming, try using a password management app (like Naver Password Manager or Google Password Manager). They automatically create complex passwords for you and store them, so you don't have to memorize anything. It's way more convenient than you'd think.

These 3 things might not be a perfect solution. But the difference between doing nothing and doing these 3 things is absolutely massive. It's like putting at least one lock on your front door. Hackers go after easy targets before hard ones.

Seriously, right now—this moment while you're reading this—is the perfect time to check. If you tell yourself you'll do it later, you know you'll just forget. 😅 Take just a few minutes and do it now. It's the first step to protecting yourself and your family.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. If I checked and it says "no breach history," does that mean I'm completely safe?

A. Not necessarily. These checking services don't catch every single breach out there. Recent breaches or ones that haven't been reported yet might not show up. So even if it says "no history," it's still a good idea to change your passwords and set up two-factor authentication. Prevention is always easier than dealing with the damage afterward.

Q. I think my personal information has been leaked and I've already suffered damage. Where should I report it?

A. You can report it to the Personal Information Breach Reporting Center under the Personal Information Protection Commission (☎ 182 without area code). You can also report online at privacy.kisa.or.kr. If you've already suffered financial loss, it's also a good idea to report it to the Cyber Investigation Team at the National Police Agency (☎ 182 without area code). Don't suffer in silence—report it quickly. Fast reporting is the best way to minimize damage.

Reference Sources
Daily Secu - Personal Information Breach Reports Up 45.6%...Hacking Breaches Surge, 167.7 Billion Won in Fines Imposed (View Original)

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