Toss Wins Grand Prize at 'Financial Security AI Hacking Defense Competition'; Toss Securities Takes Second as Toss Sweeps Top Two Spots

Toss Affiliates Win Competition for Sixth Consecutive Year
"Prove AI Security Capabilities"

Viva Republica, which operates the mobile financial services platform Toss, announced on the 13th that it had won the grand prize at the 2026 Financial AI-Powered Hacking Defense Competition.

From left, Kim Jaeseong, security researcher on Toss's Security Threat Assessment Team; Jeon Hyerim, security researcher on Toss's Security Threat Assessment Team; Kim Seongung, head of the Financial AI Security Research Institute at the Financial Security Institute; Choi Jeongsu, head of Toss's Security Threat Assessment Team; and Kwon Jaeseung, security researcher on Toss's Security Threat Assessment Team, pose for a commemorative photo after taking first place in the Financial Security AI-Powered Hacking Defense Competition hosted by the Financial Security Institute at Conrad Seoul in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, on the 12th. Viva Republica

The competition, hosted by the Financial Security Institute and sponsored by the Financial Services Commission, is one of South Korea’s leading cybersecurity competitions for the financial sector. This year, the existing Financial Security Threat Analysis Competition (FIESTA) was revamped into a hands-on competition designed to test AI-powered attack and defense capabilities. Toss took the top spot in the first competition held since the revamp.

Ten teams that advanced to the finals competed this year. Toss took first place under the team name “Decaffeinated Amaretto Latte,” fielding four white-hat hackers from its Security Threat Assessment Team: Choi Jeongsu, Kwon Jaeseung, Kim Jaeseong and Jeon Hyerim. The team received the Financial Services Commission Chairman’s Award and KRW 12 million in prize money. Toss Securities also competed under the team name “Kim Mongsom Fan Club,” with four members of its Security Technology Team—Kwon Hyeokju, Kim Beopseong, Kim Taewook and Lee Sanghyun—and received the Financial Security Institute President’s Award for second place.

Toss-affiliated companies have produced the winning team for six consecutive years, from 2021 through this year. Toss’s security team won in its first appearance in 2021 and took first place for four consecutive years through 2024. Toss Securities claimed the top spot last year, and Toss won again this year.

Toss operates a dedicated security team made up of white-hat hackers, proactively identifying and addressing vulnerabilities and developing and operating its own security solutions. It also regularly conducts cyberattack response drills and bug bounty programs, and maintains major domestic and international security certifications, including PCI DSS, ISO 27001 and ISMS-P, to manage its security systems on an ongoing basis.

A Toss spokesperson said, “We have continually strengthened our capabilities, believing that security is paramount in financial services because they handle users’ assets and information. We will stay one step ahead in preparing for new threats emerging in the AI era and continue building a financial environment where users can feel safe.”

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