Yonsei says portal breach exposed data of about 10,000 people

Yonsei University said Thursday, October 22, that a breach of its online portal in Seoul exposed personal information belonging to about 10,000 current and former students and faculty, The Korea Herald reported. International students are among those affected. The university plans to let individuals check which of their details were exposed later Thursday.

The figure is approximate. A Yonsei official told The Korea Herald the number of affected people could rise. Yonhap News Agency separately reported the university’s disclosure of about 10,000 affected students and graduates; both reports attribute the central account of the breach to Yonsei.

What information Yonsei says was exposed

Yonsei said resident registration, alien registration and passport numbers were not compromised, according to The Korea Herald. Yonhap also reported the university’s statement that resident registration numbers were not exposed. Yonsei confirmed to The Korea Herald that some international students were affected, making the distinction concerning alien registration and passport numbers relevant to them.

When the university detected the breach

Yonsei became aware of the breach at about 7:40 p.m. on Tuesday, October 20, and shut down the affected server, The Korea Herald reported. The university detected a second attempted breach at 10:04 a.m. on Wednesday, October 21, according to the same report. Those times describe the university’s detection and response, not when each person’s information was accessed.

The university said it had blocked the source of the breach and requested an investigation by authorities. Yonhap reported that Yonsei blocked the point of intrusion and requested a police investigation. Neither report identified who accessed the portal or a motive, so the account of the intrusion remains limited to the university’s disclosure.

How affected people can check their details

Yonsei said people affected by the breach would be able to check which personal details were compromised through a notice on its official website beginning at 1 p.m. Thursday, October 22. That scheduled release followed the publication of both reports; the individual notices had not been established as available at the time of their reporting.

In its notice, the university apologized for the concern caused by the incident and pledged measures to prevent similar breaches, The Korea Herald reported. Yonhap also reported Yonsei’s apology for the concern and inconvenience. The promised individual checks are the next stated step for people seeking to learn what information about them was exposed.