KR — ZDNet Korea
Domestic Security Firms Must Band Together to Boost Competitiveness and Go Global
Security2 min read
A Korean security leader warns that local security companies must link up with global security platforms and build a shared Korean open ecosystem, or they may lose their market within a few years. The Korea Trust Alliance (KOTA) is being set up to make this happen.
What happened
Im Jong-in, head of the preparation committee for the Korea Trust Alliance (KOTA), warned that Korean security firms are slow to connect with global security platforms. He said they should build and share open-source adapters so that Korean security products can exchange data in a standard format. KOTA's founding meeting was set for the 22nd, and Im explained its purpose at a Seoul event on the 19th.
Key facts
- OCSF (Open Cybersecurity Schema Framework) is a data standard that the Linux Foundation has promoted since 2022.
- Many global platform companies follow OCSF.
- Preparatory founding members total about 40: 13 demand-side companies, 18 supplier companies, and 7 academics.
- The first 2 working groups will start with companies raising agenda items that suppliers then test through proof of concept (PoC).
Why data format matters
Many Korean companies use their own private data formats. Global platforms cannot easily read this data, so Korean products are hard to connect. Im said that the government should lead the work, for example by having the Ministry of Science and ICT release open-source software that converts local data into the standard format. Companies could then add it to their products and connect with platforms such as Palo Alto Networks and CrowdStrike.
Why it matters
Im says Korean firms could lose big customers in finance, chips, and manufacturing to foreign products within a few years. He also says old rule-based zero trust (a security model that checks every access) cannot stop AI attacks that change in real time. He proposes an AI-based zero trust model that collects information from devices and networks and then blocks threats. He compares the plan to Korea's KF-21 fighter: building its own platform alongside global tools, instead of only buying the F-35, keeps skills and technology in Korea.
What to watch
- Whether KOTA holds its founding meeting on the 22nd and sets up its first working groups.
- Whether suppliers can prove the value of new agenda items through PoC tests.
- When government ministries and public agencies join, which KOTA plans to ask after the group takes shape.
- Whether the government actually builds and releases the open-source adapter and the defense-focused AI model.
Glossary
- KOTA
- Korea Trust Alliance; a new group of security companies, users, and experts that aims to share and connect security tools.
- OCSF
- A shared data format for security logs, promoted by the Linux Foundation, so different tools can understand each other.
- KF-21
- South Korea's homegrown fighter jet, built with know-how gained alongside buying foreign F-35 jets.