South Korean e-commerce giant Coupang has officially confirmed a significant data leak involving the personal information of 34 million of its customers. The confirmation came after a Chinese operator was discovered selling a database containing the customer records on a well-known hacking forum.

The incident has exposed a large volume of user data, raising concerns about privacy and security for the millions affected by the breach. Coupang is one of the largest online retailers in South Korea, often referred to as the country’s equivalent of Amazon.

Details of the Exposed Data

The compromised database contained 34 million individual customer records. According to reports, the exposed information includes customer names, addresses, and phone numbers. In addition to this personally identifiable information (PII), the database also contained Coupang’s own internal product codes associated with customer activities.

In its official response, the company stated that more sensitive personal information, such as resident registration numbers and passwords, were not included in the leaked dataset. The breach highlights the ongoing risks associated with large-scale data storage in the e-commerce sector.

Coupang’s Official Response and Actions

Coupang addressed the incident in a public statement, describing it as an “isolated incident” and not the result of a direct hacking attack on its main systems. The company clarified that the leaked information originated from a “test website” and was characterized as “old data” from 2018. Following the discovery, Coupang reported the matter to the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) for a formal investigation.

This data leak is part of a series of cybersecurity incidents that have recently impacted major South Korean corporations. Other notable companies, including E-Land and LG Electronics, have also been targeted by data breaches, indicating a challenging security landscape for the nation’s businesses.

Source: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/south-korea-coupang-34m-customer/