KT announced on the 16th that it has built and begun full operation of "Circuit Breaker," an AI-based phishing detection and blocking system, in partnership with the National Police Agency's Integrated Response Unit for Telecommunications Financial Fraud, starting January this year.
Since last year, KT has been collaborating with the police unit on extracting AI-based suspicious phishing numbers.
KT's Future Network Research Institute developed and provided a system that automatically identifies suspected phishing numbers using its proprietary AI model. Analysis showed that approximately 75% of actual phishing damage reports were linked to numbers extracted by this system.
The Police Agency's Integrated Response Unit immediately blocks suspected phishing numbers shared by KT through the "Circuit Breaker" system to prevent further damage.
Circuit Breaker is a voice and text emergency network blocking system jointly operated by the National Police Agency and telecommunications carriers since November last year. Suspected phishing numbers are immediately blocked from the network, and if no objection is filed within seven days, service suspension measures are implemented.
Since the system's implementation in January, a total of 9,822 suspected phishing numbers have been detected and blocked on KT's network. According to the Integrated Response Unit, total phishing reports to police decreased by approximately 2,700 cases (25%) from 10,496 to 7,843, comparing six weeks before and after implementation.
Notably, voice phishing impersonating government agencies dropped 44%, while loan-fraud voice phishing decreased 40%, showing significant reduction effects in major phishing categories.
Previously, countermeasures were taken only after phishing damage was reported. However, analysis indicates this collaboration project has substantial preventive effects by blocking suspected phishing numbers at early stages of criminal activity.
KT plans to further strengthen cooperation with the Police Agency's Integrated Response Unit to establish a 24-hour real-time response system. "KT became the first telecommunications carrier to build a phishing detection system using our AI technology in collaboration with the Police Agency's Integrated Response Unit, achieving tangible prevention results by linking with the agency's network blocking system," said Lee Byung-moo, Executive Vice President of KT's AX Innovation Support Division. "We will continue to do our best to protect customers through cooperation with relevant agencies."
