Information Security Day Ceremony and Information Security Conference Held
Hacking technology is becoming increasingly sophisticated, so prevention is crucial.

To raise public awareness amidst growing cyber threats, the 6th Information Protection Day Commemoration Ceremony and International Information Protection Conference were held at the The K Hotel in Yangjae on the 12th. The event was co-hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the National Intelligence Service, and the Korea Communications Commission, and organized by the Korea Internet & Security Agency.

Since 2012, the government has designated July as Information Security Month and has held an 'Information Security Day' ceremony on the second Wednesday of July every year.

Choi Dong-won, head of the Cyber Attack Response Division at the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, said, "Cyberattacks are spreading with a clear purpose. While past attacks occurred solely in the cyber world, they are now occurring directly in the physical world, posing a threat to our bodies and property."

Recent cyber threats are characterized by large-scale, random attacks driven by financial gain, expanding to various internet-connected platforms, including smart cars, industrial facilities, and medical devices. Furthermore, hacking techniques are becoming increasingly sophisticated due to technologies like artificial intelligence. In the case of the ransomware that became a problem last May, it is difficult to recover data because it is encrypted once infected, so prevention is important.

He then explained the achievements and direction of the C-TAS (Cyber Threat Analysis & Sharing System), saying that a private sector cyber breach response system is in place to quickly respond to breaches through information sharing and cooperation between related domestic and international organizations.

Manager Choi stated, "By applying attack IP information to the firewall using C-TAS, we have increased our blocking rate. We plan to expand threat intelligence collection channels by collaborating with international ransomware response organizations and national incident response organizations." He added, "We will integrate big data to process existing threat intelligence into various formats and provide it in stages."

To prepare for increasingly sophisticated attacks, we must cultivate talents strong in theory and technology.

Professor Kwak Jin of Ajou University, who presented on "Next-Generation Information Security Talent Development," said, "The most important thing for security professionals is a solid foundation in theory." He added, "Looking at my students, they're good at technical aspects. However, they're weaker when it comes to applying theory beyond that. They need to build a foundation of fundamental theory and ethical principles."

Professor Lee Ki-hyeok of the Department of Convergence Security at Chung-Ang University said, "How we keep pace with the changes brought about by the internalization of ICT technology is crucial. As attackers become more organized and systematized, we must consider security and safety together. “We need people to analyze multi-dimensional attacks,” he said, adding, “This year and next year are the times when we need to change the framework for creating solutions focused on corporate security.” He added that while global security companies are preparing platforms rather than individual products, domestic security companies lack the manpower or capital to keep up with the changes.

On this day, the conference was divided into three tracks and six sub-topics: △Cyber Threats and Prevention/Response, △Information Security Policy and Challenges, △The Future of the Information Security Industry, △The Present and Future of Convergence Security, △Information Security and Society, and △Next-Generation Information Security Technology Development.

Along with the conference, events such as a job fair, an exhibition of R&D research and development results, and personal information protection training were also held.