Coinbase, Bithumb and Two South Korean Firms Hit by Data Leaks

A wave of data leaks has hit the crypto and financial sectors today, with Coinbase and South Korean exchange Bithumb among the companies affected. Around 70,000 Coinbase users may have had their contact details exposed, while Bithumb is still checking if customer data was leaked. 

Meanwhile, two other South Korean firms, Daishin and Mirae Asset, reported security breaches.

Coinbase Denied System Breach After 70,000 Users Data Exposed

Well-known crypto exchange Coinbase has denied that its internal systems were breached after a security incident at third-party analytics provider Amplitude exposed customer contact information. 

Blockchain security firm SlowMist reported that around 70,000 Coinbase users may have been affected, with exposed details including email addresses and phone numbers.

However, Coinbase said the incident happened at Amplitude, not within its own systems. The incident also affected other companies using Amplitude, making it a third-party data exposure

“We’ve found no evidence of unauthorized access to Coinbase systems, and customer funds were not impacted.”

Coinbase has not confirmed the reported figure of 70,000 affected users.

Bithumb Investigates Employee Data Leak

Unlike Coinbase, which linked the incident to an outside analytics provider, South Korea’s Bithumb confirmed unauthorized access to its internal employee mobile groupware system, operated through third-party platform Daou Office.

The breach exposed employee details, including names, work email addresses, and mobile phone numbers. 

The exchange is reviewing system records to find out whether customer information was also exposed. Bithumb said it was “analyzing the exact scope, including the possibility of member information being involved.”

Meanwhile, Bithumb reported the incident to South Korea’s Korea Internet & Security Agency and the Personal Information Protection Commission.

Daishin Securities Leaks Customer Data

The data leaks also affected South Korea’s traditional financial sector. On October 28, brokerage firm Daishin Securities confirmed that personal and credit information belonging to 38,490 customers had been exposed.

The company first detected suspicious activity on October 17 and later found more than 60,000 harmful requests over 10 days. 

The leaked data included names, email addresses, home addresses, and account details, with some information encrypted.

Mirae Asset Reports System Breach

Meanwhile, Mirae Asset Global Investments, which manages $461 billion in assets, detected unauthorized access to some of its web systems. The company said the incident exposed only internal business data, with no evidence that investor details or personal credit information had been leaked.

The incidents have raised wider concerns about the safety of South Korea’s financial sector.

Financial Supervisory Service Governor Lee Chan-jin said at least 16 financial firms had faced cyberattacks in October, leading to around 100,000 cases of data leaks.