South Korean Government Imposes Penalties on SK Telecom for Breach

South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT investigated an SK Telecom breach after detecting external data communications; investigators scanned ~42,605 servers, found dozens of malware strains including BPFDoor and Tiny Shell, and determined that about 27 million phone numbers and SIM-related records were compromised. The company faces fines and onerous remediation requirements (quarterly security assessments, encrypted password storage, CISO reporting to the CEO, free USIM swaps, and easier subscriber cancellations), and the report highlights broader risks to telecommunications infrastructure from both criminal groups and state-linked APT activity.