Marketplace All-in-One The data breach that hit two-thirds of a country
Dec 29, 2025
Archana Shukla, a BBC reporter specializing in tech and business, discusses the massive Coupang data breach affecting over 33 million South Koreans and the $1.18 billion compensation plan that followed. She reveals the disappointing delay in detecting the breach and insights about possible insider involvement. Joe Tidy, the BBC's cyber correspondent, reviews a year of corporate cyberattacks, highlighting the disruptions caused to major retailers and the halted production at Jaguar Land Rover, emphasizing the need for better cybersecurity measures moving forward.
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Scale Of The Coupang Breach
- Coupang's breach exposed data for almost two-thirds of South Korea's population, showing scale of modern retail vulnerabilities.
- The company later said only 3,000 accounts were copied, highlighting gaps between exposure and confirmed theft.
Delayed Detection And Public Apology
- The breach began in June but wasn't noticed until November, revealing long detection delays.
- Coupang's CEO publicly apologised for not addressing the crisis earlier.
Insider Role In The Hack
- Authorities suspect a former Coupang employee copied about 3,000 accounts to a personal computer.
- The company says no financial data were accessed and the ex-employee hasn't sold the data to third parties.