BANGKOK — Thailand is facing a shortage of cybersecurity experts amid the country’s drive for the digital transformation of the economy and society, according to Kitti Kosavisutte, chairman of the Thailand Banking Sector-Computer Emergency Response Team (TB-CERT).
His remarks followed the data leaks reported by Kasikornbank and Krung Thai Bank, where personal and corporate data of more than 120,000 bank customers were compromised.
Krung Thai Bank reported to the Bank of Thailand that the personal data of 117,000 customers applying for personal, housing and other loans online, were hacked. Kasikorn Bank reported that corporate data of about 3,000 customers using the bank’s online letter of guarantee service, was compromised.
Cybersecurity experts said the incidents serve as a wake-up call for regulators and other authorities as Thailand accelerates the pace of its digital economy.
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While bank executives said the data leaks have caused no damage so far, experts said. Data, especially personal data, is very sensitive and potential damage cannot be ruled out. Experts have urged the government to quickly strengthen legal safeguards against data leaks with special measures added to the data protection bill which will be enacted later this year.
At present, the National Broadcasting and Telecommunica-tions Commission’s rules require telecom operators to report any data leaks to authorities within 72 hours. However, there are no regulations for the banking sector yet.
