South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense is investigating a cyber breach after an unauthorized user accessed a military medical imaging system containing diagnostic records for about 1.15 million people, United Press International reported.
Known as the Picture Archiving and Communication System, the tool is used by the Armed Forces Medical Command to store and review diagnostic images, including X-rays, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging.
Records in the database included those of military personnel and, in some cases, civilians treated at military hospitals.
According to Yonhap News Agency, authorities estimated that up to 8 gigabytes of medical data, equivalent to 1,000 files, may have been accessed, although investigators have yet to determine what records were viewed or whether any information was extracted.
Network Vulnerability
Investigators found that the attacker gained access through an open network port that had remained exposed for several months, compromising a system used by six military hospitals across South Korea.
Three were located in Goyang, Yangju, and Pocheon, all north of Seoul, near the border with North Korea.
The others were in Guri, east of the capital, Gangneung on the east coast, and Daegu in the country’s southeast.
Officials have not identified the individual or group behind the intrusion or disclosed whether the activity has been linked to a foreign actor.
Following the discovery, authorities took the medical imaging system offline while the investigation continues.
Officials said the findings will be used to strengthen cybersecurity measures and address the vulnerabilities that enabled the breach.
The incident comes amid growing concerns about cyber threats targeting South Korea’s military, after the country’s armed forces registered 18,951 cyberattack attempts against their networks and websites last year, the highest annual total on record.
