[DiaryPoint = Reporter Choi Seung-jin] Personal information including names, dates of birth, gender, mobile phone numbers and email addresses was exposed after unusual external access to Hyundai EZWEL’s membership lookup API. The company said it detected the activity around 9 p.m. on October 29 and is investigating the exact scale and scope of the breach.
Hyundai EZWEL posted an apology on its website on October 30 and said it had blocked the internet address used in the attack. It also cut off all external access to the affected system and reported the incident to the Financial Supervisory Service and the Korea Internet & Security Agency.
No secondary damage or misuse of personal information has been confirmed so far. But the company’s employee benefits mall serves 3.4 million workers at about 2,700 companies and institutions, so using Hyundai EZWEL’s benefits mall alone does not establish whether someone was affected.
Wait for an individual notice to confirm whether you were affected
Hyundai EZWEL said it plans to notify affected customers individually about the breach and steps they can take to reduce the risk of harm. As of November 1, the company had not announced a dedicated page where users could check their status by entering a name or mobile number, nor had it disclosed a final count of affected people.
Instead of clicking links in text messages, users should type Hyundai EZWEL’s official website address directly into their browser and check its notices and member updates. If contacting the 24-hour support center announced by the company, use the number listed on its official website rather than one included in a text message.
If your Hyundai EZWEL password is the same as one you use for another shopping site or portal, go directly to the official website and change it now. The company has not said that passwords were among the exposed information. Still, if you reuse passwords across services, change them individually and enable two-factor authentication.
Watch out for “check if you were affected” links and compensation texts
After a data breach, phishing texts or calls may claim to offer a “breach check,” “compensation application” or “refund.” Do not respond to anyone impersonating Hyundai EZWEL who asks for your national ID number, bank account details, card PIN or verification code, or urges you to install a remote-access app. Don’t open the link; report the message as spam from your messaging app and delete it.
If you already clicked a link or installed an app, scan your phone with mobile security software and check your carrier’s small-payment records and your financial transactions. If you entered personal or financial information or lost money, ask your financial institution to suspend payments and report the incident to police. In South Korea, smishing consultations and reports are available through the Korea Internet & Security Agency at 118.
Hyundai EZWEL is investigating the circumstances and scope of the incident with relevant authorities and said it intends to fully compensate customers if harm is confirmed. The final number of people affected and the details of individual notifications will depend on the findings of the company’s and authorities’ follow-up investigations.