A Data Leak that Led to the Impeachment of a President

It was one of the controversial news stories in 2016 involving then South Korea President, Park Geun-hye, in a political scandal revealing a shocking truth that led to her own impeachment… all started from a data leak. 

Park Geun-hye served as the 11th president of South Korea from 2013 to 2017, until she was forced to leave the parliament and impeached because of the shocking scandal involving her corrupted behaviors, abuse of authority, and how she misused secret government documents. 

It all started when she leaked and “intentionally shared” a draft of an important document regarding secret state affairs to her so-called “close friend and advisor”, Choi Sun-sil, who doesn’t hold any governmental position. It was then revealed by a South Korean news broadcaster, JTBC, who successfully breaks into an old tablet computer belonging to Choi Sun-sil and discovers a shocking revelation. The tablet was filled with confidential presidential documents and edited key speeches. The two had continuously shared and intervened with crucial state affairs matters during Park’s presidency. 

The whole nation was in rage while protesting outside the Blue House to have Park Geun-hye impeached, and it took 3 months to have her officially removed from the government, sentenced for 16 indictments, and left her with nothing but 24 years of jail time and tarnished reputation.

This controversial story not only shocks the whole world, but also a lesson to remind and raise awareness that data and information could be misused, exploited, and treated as a weapon in the wrong hands, even in the hands of the most powerful leader. Can you imagine what someone could do with a powerful piece of data containing secret technology, innovations, state affairs matter, millions of personal information – and use it as a weapon or threat?

Data is a collection of information, descriptions, and facts obtained through observation. Data is everywhere and everything we create such as documents, pictures, credit card purchases, your current location from GPS – whether it’s in a physical form or stored in the internet. Through data one can analyze, describe, and use as a benchmark for decision-making and consideration. Hence, data and information is the most powerful tool and valuable asset an individual could have.

Why should we protect our data?

The data you created consist of your personal information and privacies. For a wide range, companies and governmental institutions hold a larger amount of data on trade secrets,  confidential matters, technologies and innovation. Either in a small or big amount, data is an important key but in the wrong hands, data could become a dangerous and threatening weapon. Identity theft, frauds, cyber attacks, ransomware, phishing are just a few to name why we should protect our data in this scary web world.

How important is data protection and cybersecurity?

The importance of data protection and cybersecurity increases as the vast amount of data created and stored has grown a lot in the last decade at a fast pace, ultimately we cannot handle each data personally. Data protection helps to safeguard important information from corruption or loss and ensure data privacy is well kept. Cybersecurity protects critical systems and sensitive information, they are designed to fight against digital threats and attacks. The combination of both protocols and safety offer a double shield to data. Combining both precautions helps prevent data breach, alert emerging threats, and improve information security management.

What can you do to prevent misuse of data?

– Secure your account by using a two-step authentication

– Protect your web browsing by managing cookies and block ads

– Never share usernames, passwords, or any confidential information

– Use antivirus software on every digital device you own

– Building security awareness across organization

– Report to the authorities if you see unusual activities

Utilizing data information with advanced technology is equally as important as preserving and protecting it from danger, and that is why having data protection and cybersecurity creates a double shield to secure it from harmful parties. By learning how to securely use and manage data, you can shield your organization from leaks and attacks. You can never be too cautious!

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