Last July, an absolutely devastating ransomware attack hit Saint Paul, Minnesota, causing one of the worst cybersecurity incidents in American municipal history.
The entire city’s computer systems were paralyzed, network communications failed, citizens couldn’t pay their water bills, libraries lost Wi-Fi access, and even city employees couldn’t work.

This turned out to be a ransomware attack orchestrated by a hacker group called “Interlock.”
What’s infuriating is that when the city refused to pay their demands, these criminals released 43GB of citizen data onto the internet..

Let’s examine exactly what happened and what we can learn from it.

This is actually happening! Check if your phone is being hacked right now.
Hidden mobile base stations in cars are secretly approaching people.
A text arrives on your phone: “Emergency! Your account has been hacked. Check immediately”
In a panic, you click the link and enter your password… and soon cash is stolen from your account.
It sounds like a movie plot, but this is actually happening in real life.

In March 2025, a Chinese student in London drove around in an SUV for 5 days, sending smishing text messages to tens of thousands of people.
Similar incidents of fake text messages being distributed occurred in Bangkok, Thailand, Malaysia, and New Zealand.

Let’s find out what’s really happening and what we need to do about it.

I was shocked watching the morning news yesterday.
Breaking news flashed that check-in systems at London Heathrow Airport were down.
At first, I thought it was just a simple system glitch,
but it turned out to be a massive cyberattack that simultaneously hit major airports across Europe.

South Korea is implementing its 2nd Consumer Recovery Coupon program, distributing 100,000 KRW (approximately $75 USD, equivalent to about 2-3 meals at a mid-range restaurant in Korea) per person starting September 22nd.
This nationwide initiative targets 90% of the population as part of economic recovery efforts.
However, alongside this beneficial policy, the Korean government is also addressing a significant challenge: the rise in smishing scams that exploit such programs.

Let’s explore how Korea is tackling both economic support and digital security simultaneously.