Hackers Compromise Database of South Koreans Who Work for the U.S. Military

Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti

Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti Defense Department

Contact info, education history, work experience and Korean ID numbers may have been breached.

Two databases containing the personal information of about 16,000 South Koreans employed by the United States military have been hacked. Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, the top U.S. military official in South Korea, had the misfortune of sending all of these employees a letter explaining what had occurred:

We deeply regret and apologize for any inconvenience and concern this matter may cause you. USFK [US Forces Korea] takes this potential compromise very seriously and is reviewing policies and practices with a view of determining what must be changed to preclude a similar occurrence in the future. The safety and protection of our employees’ personal information are paramount to USFK." 

The hack may have compromised contact information, education history, work experience, and Korean Identification Numbers of the employees. On the brighter side, bank information, credit card data, military information and defense information were not accessed by this hack.