Cyber Incidents: SMEs Account for More Than 80% of Reports... "Information Security Support Must Be Increased"

Han Junho: "KISA's support for SMEs has declined"

Cybersecurity incidents affecting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have increased every year, according to new data. More than 80% of reported cyber incidents involved SMEs, prompting calls to review the scale of information security support and the system for follow-up management.

According to data that Han Jun-ho, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker on the National Assembly’s Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, received from the Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA), reported cyber incidents rose every year, from 1,142 in 2022 to 2,383 in 2025. In particular, SMEs accounted for 1,913 reports, or 80.3% of the total last year. In the first half of this year, SMEs accounted for 997 of the 1,236 reported cyber incidents.

By contrast, information security support for SMEs has declined. The number of companies supported under KISA’s ICT SME Information Security Safety Net program fell from 1,555 in 2023 to 853 in 2024 and 488 in 2025. The related budget decreased from KRW 10.5 billion in 2023 to KRW 2.636 billion in 2025. KISA said the reduction in the program’s budget was a major reason for the decline in the number of companies receiving support.

Calls have also been made to improve the system for assessing outcomes after support is provided. KISA’s measurement of improvements in the security levels of supported companies rose from 18.5% in 2022 to 26.9% in 2025, but remained in the 20% range.

“Since more than 80% of reported cyber incidents involve SMEs, we need to assess whether the current level of support is reaching the companies that need it in sufficient measure,” Han said. “We should verify whether actual cyber incidents have declined after support is provided, and strengthen follow-up management so that companies repeatedly affected receive help to address vulnerabilities and prevent recurrence.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.