Ministry of SMEs and Startups to Pilot Digital Forensics Project by Year-End
1:1 Matching Between Technology Leakage SMEs and Forensic Firms
Up to 5 million won per year in financial support for affected SMEs


The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced that starting from the 15th, it will support the costs of digital forensic analysis until the end of the year so that small and medium-sized enterprises suspected of technology leakage by former or internal employees can quickly secure evidence.

It has been found that a significant portion (54%) of technology leakage incidents in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are caused by former employees or internal staff; however, due to a lack of specialized knowledge and inadequate security management systems within SMEs, it is difficult to provide an appropriate initial response.

Most technology leaks occur through digital devices, and victimized companies need to investigate to secure evidence before filing a report. The most efficient means for this is digital forensic analysis.

Digital forensics is a technique that analyzes various digital information remaining on storage media, such as PCs, laptops, and mobile phones, or online to find clues regarding technology leaks.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will pilot a digital forensics support program until the end of this year. Small and medium-sized enterprises that have suffered damages from technology leakage caused by their employees may apply for a support program from the Foundation for Cooperation between Large, Medium, and Small Enterprises and Agriculture and Fisheries (hereinafter referred to as the Cooperation Foundation) for forensic analysis of their own business digital devices.

The Cooperation Foundation will review the timing of the damage, the details of the damage, and the subjects of analysis, and match the affected small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with specialized forensic firms (5 companies expected to be selected) scheduled for selection on the 17th on a one-to-one basis to proceed with consultation, forensic collection, and analysis.

An official from the Ministry of SMEs and Startups stated, “Affected companies can secure clear evidence through initial responses utilizing digital forensics and proceed with follow-up measures (such as filing criminal complaints, claims for damages, and applications for mediation or arbitration).” The official added, “As this is a pilot project being implemented this year, we plan to operate the program in a direction desired by the field by reflecting the opinions of SMEs.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups also provides the 'SME Technology Protection Service (Korea Industrial Technology Protection Association, 02-3489-7050~7053),' a network monitoring service for preventing internal information leakage and responding to cyberattacks, and recommends using it as a preventive measure.

More details about the digital forensics support program can be found on the SME Technology Protection Fence , and applications can be submitted via email (forensic@win-win.or.kr).