[Photo by Namkung Jinwoong = timeid@ajunews.com]
SEOUL, Feb. 01 (Aju News) -- South Korean police launched a raid into Bithumb, the country's largest digital currency exchange, as part of an investigation into a cyber attack last year to steal the private information of users.
Police said a cyber team was sent to BTC KoreaCom Corp. in southern Seoul to find evidence related to hacking. In December last year, the Korea Communications Commission imposed a fine of 60 million won (56,750 US dollars) on the operator of Bithumb for negligence in the protection of information.
Bithumb was accused of storing unencrypted private information files in its computer and failing to upgrade vaccine software, despite concerns about cryptocurrency users being targeted by hackers and swindlers. In the same month, Youbit, a domestic cryptocurrency exchange, also shut down transactions, bowing to a series of attacks by hackers.
North Korean hackers have been suspected of stealing and collecting cryptocurrencies, but it was not known who was behind hacking into the two cryptocurrency exchanges in December. South Korea has warned of strong regulations on cryptocurrency transactions to prevent hacking, a breach of privacy, money laundering and other criminal activities.
reporter
Lim Chang-won
cwlim34@ajunews.com
