ID :
200563
Thu, 08/11/2011 - 06:38
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/200563
The shortlink copeid
Gov't pushes to phase out online real-name policy
SEOUL, Aug. 11 (Yonhap) -- In the wake of the country's worst online security breach that compromised the personal information of over two-thirds of the population, the home affairs ministry said Thursday it will push to repeal in phases the online real-name verification rules.
Last month, hackers stole some 35 million individuals' personal information from SK Communications Co., the operator of the country's third most-visited Web portal. The stolen information includes names, addresses, phone numbers, and resident registration codes, the Korean equivalent of social security numbers.
The incident is said to be the worst online security breach in the country since a cyber attack on the Web site of Internet Auction Co., a local unit of eBay Inc., affected 18 million users in 2008.
As part of efforts to prevent the recurrence of such massive data leaks and to ensure online security, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security said it will discuss abolishing the real-name verification policy with ruling party officials. The real-name policy requires Web sites with more than 100,000 visitors per day to authenticate their users' identities through their resident registration number.
Introduced in 2007, the policy aimed to curb side effects from Internet-based expression rooted in anonymity and give online users a greater sense of responsibility, but it has been criticized because it provides an incentive for online companies to store sensitive personal information for several years, putting millions of users at risk of identity theft.
The ministry also plans to review tax and financial transactions-related regulations that demand personal information from online financial service users, and to develop technology to defend against cyber attacks.
"Diverse measures ranging from devising alternative ways to verify users' identity to allowing citizens to change their resident registration numbers will be on the table to guarantee information security," said a ruling party official.
Last month, hackers stole some 35 million individuals' personal information from SK Communications Co., the operator of the country's third most-visited Web portal. The stolen information includes names, addresses, phone numbers, and resident registration codes, the Korean equivalent of social security numbers.
The incident is said to be the worst online security breach in the country since a cyber attack on the Web site of Internet Auction Co., a local unit of eBay Inc., affected 18 million users in 2008.
As part of efforts to prevent the recurrence of such massive data leaks and to ensure online security, the Ministry of Public Administration and Security said it will discuss abolishing the real-name verification policy with ruling party officials. The real-name policy requires Web sites with more than 100,000 visitors per day to authenticate their users' identities through their resident registration number.
Introduced in 2007, the policy aimed to curb side effects from Internet-based expression rooted in anonymity and give online users a greater sense of responsibility, but it has been criticized because it provides an incentive for online companies to store sensitive personal information for several years, putting millions of users at risk of identity theft.
The ministry also plans to review tax and financial transactions-related regulations that demand personal information from online financial service users, and to develop technology to defend against cyber attacks.
"Diverse measures ranging from devising alternative ways to verify users' identity to allowing citizens to change their resident registration numbers will be on the table to guarantee information security," said a ruling party official.
