'Gyeonggi Smartphone Security Guard' Blocks Three Malicious Apps in Just Three Weeks

The "Smartphone Security Guard" initiative, jointly promoted by Gyeonggi Province, the Korea Internet & Security Agency, and the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, succeeded in detecting and blocking three malicious apps within three weeks of activity.

The Smartphone Security Guard is a pilot project in Gyeonggi Province, where guards visit 75 senior institutions in Seongnam to conduct smartphone security checks, block malicious apps, and raise awareness to prevent voice phishing.

Since the beginning of this month, 35 Smartphone Security Guards have conducted 222 security checks at 34 senior community centers and welfare facilities as of April 20, discovering seven suspected phishing cases and reporting them to the police hotline.

The police responded immediately, using a police-exclusive extraction app to extract three malicious apps and neutralized them technically. The remaining suspicious apps were also safely deleted.

A smartphone security officer, piloted and operated by Gyeonggi Province, is conducting voice phishing education. Provided by Gyeonggi Province

Malicious apps can steal personal information such as contacts, messages, call logs, and device information after installation, potentially leading to secondary damages like smishing or voice phishing.

Starting in May, Gyeonggi Province plans to provide free safety insurance from Shinhan Financial Group to seniors who receive voice phishing prevention training from the Smartphone Security Guard. With this insurance, up to KRW 5 million can be compensated in the event of telecommunication financial fraud damage.

Seo Bongja, Director of Fair Economy at Gyeonggi Province, stated, "Anyone can fall victim to voice phishing, and the psychological damage can be as severe as the financial loss, so prevention is crucial." She added, "Since the Smartphone Security Guard initiative is already showing positive results, we plan to expand it to cities and counties throughout Gyeonggi Province next year."

Meanwhile, according to the National Police Agency, the average financial loss per voice phishing case last year was KRW 58.3 million.

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