Seoul: Online security authorities have identified suspected selling of personal information stolen from 21 South Korean medical and educational organizations, as well as online shopping platforms, and advised companies to take precautions, officials said Wednesday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Internet and Security Agency (KISA) revealed that a hacking group recently formed an online community to steal internal data from local medical and educational institutions and online shopping malls and sell it. They noted that a series of cyberattacks is underway.

The hacking group, or an individual, using the online alias "AshleyWood2022," was suspected of having sold stolen data from local organizations and online shopping malls through a community from December to early January. Authorities said the organizations and companies, including universities and plastic surgery clinics, were affected by the cyberattacks.

E-commerce giant Coupang Corp., which recently experienced a large-scale data breach, was not included on the list. Personal information, including website IDs, usernames, email addresses, and passwords, are believed to have been compromised.

The ministry said it has notified the affected entities and urged businesses and organizations to strengthen their cybersecurity measures. It added that authorities will continue monitoring the illegal circulation of stolen data online, including on the dark web, in cooperation with KISA, while providing technical support and preventive measures for affected organizations.