A surge in phishing fears (Image supported by ChatGPT)
SEOUL, Dec. 17 (Korea Bizwire) — A new survey shows that nearly two-thirds of South Koreans fear a rise in phishing attempts following the massive personal data breach reported by e-commerce giant Coupang, underscoring widening public anxiety over digital security.
According to a poll released Tuesday by Stealth Solution, a global cybersecurity firm, 66.9 percent of respondents said they had noticed an uptick in suspicious activity — including account-theft attempts, phishing messages and spam — in the weeks after Coupang disclosed that the personal information of more than 33 million users had been exposed.
The survey, conducted by Embrain Research from Dec. 12 to 14, gathered responses from 1,000 adults aged 20 to 59 who had used online shopping platforms within the last three months.
Despite mounting concern, few users took meaningful steps to protect their accounts. While 64.6 percent said they worried about secondary damage such as identity theft or financial loss, only 5.1 percent said they changed passwords across all shopping sites after hearing news of a breach. More than a quarter — 28.4 percent — said they did not change their passwords at all.
The study also found widespread reuse of credentials across online platforms. Seventy-five percent of respondents said they tended to use the same ID, password or payment PIN on multiple shopping sites. Nearly one in three reported using the exact same ID everywhere, and more than 80 percent said they reused the same or mostly similar passwords.
Cybersecurity experts warn that such habits significantly heighten vulnerability in the aftermath of large-scale information leaks, making individuals easier targets for credential-stuffing attacks and financial fraud.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
