Massive Nationwide Internet Blackout Sparks Urgent Probe: 3 Telecom Giants Under the Microscope
- Following a nationwide wired internet outage, the South Korean government has launched a comprehensive investigation into the vulnerabilities of wireless access points (APs) used by telecommunications companies.
- The Ministry of Science and ICT will inspect wireless routers supplied to subscribers by the three major telecommunications companies for vulnerability to failure.
- The nationwide internet outage occurred on the 5th, affecting subscribers of KT and SK Broadband.
South Korea Investigates Wireless Router Vulnerabilities After Nationwide Internet Outage
Following a nationwide wired internet outage, the South Korean government has launched a comprehensive investigation into the vulnerabilities of wireless access points (APs) used by telecommunications companies.
The Ministry of Science and ICT will inspect wireless routers supplied to subscribers by the three major telecommunications companies for vulnerability to failure. The investigation, conducted by the Korea Information Society Development Institute (KICI), will target around 10 types of wireless routers.
The nationwide internet outage occurred on the 5th, affecting subscribers of KT and SK Broadband. The issue was caused by conflicts between security software and Mercury wireless routers installed by the two companies. LG Uplus subscribers who personally installed and used IPTIME routers also experienced problems.
It has been found that all routers that experienced internet connection problems use chips from Taiwanese fabless semiconductor design company MediaTek. AhnLab, the company responsible for the security software, stated that the problem was not caused by their software, but rather by a specific chip used in some router models.
A Ministry of Science and ICT official stated that it is difficult to determine which company is responsible for the problem until the exact results of the investigation are released. KT and SK Broadband will consider the issue a failure due to no fault of the user and will reduce the fee for one day according to their terms and conditions.
The telecommunications companies are considering a plan to compensate subscribers for inconveniences caused by internet access failures, such as business losses, and then claim a right of subrogation from the company found to be the cause of the failure.
The Public Transport Workers’ Union of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions has commented on the incident, urging an investigation into the exact cause and measures to prevent a recurrence.
The three telecommunication companies [Yonhap News]