Korea Internet & Security Agency (KISA) said on Jan. 18 that it has overhauled the "118 counseling service" on a large scale with the goal of building a digital safety net with no blind spots.
The overhaul comes on the 16th anniversary of the opening of the 118 Counseling Center. The center was set up to establish a national counseling channel that provides free counseling services 24/7, 365 days a year for cyber grievances closely tied to people's daily lives, including not only hacking and viruses but also personal data infringements and illegal spam.
With this overhaul, KISA newly introduced real-time chat and chatbot counseling services at the 118 Counseling Center and created a new "118 Navigation" webpage. By diversifying counseling methods, the aim is to improve accessibility for vulnerable groups who have difficulty with phone calls and to enhance user convenience by providing counseling, reporting, and service applications in a "one-stop" manner.
By introducing real-time chat and chatbot counseling services, accessibility has been improved compared with phone-based counseling. Users can access the 118 Navigation webpage on PC and mobile. KISA said the service is also expected to become easier to use for vulnerable groups who find phone consultations difficult, such as people with hearing impairments and foreigners.
118 Navigation is an integrated webpage that brings together in one place the counseling, reporting, and service application channels that had been scattered across multiple sites. It allows users to see at a glance and use the following: ▲ counseling methods (phone, text ARS, chat, chatbot) ▲ reporting channels (personal data, illegal spam, security incidents, etc.) ▲ related services (smishing check service, find my leaked information, etc.).
KISA President Lee Sang-jung said, "As the great transformation driven by artificial intelligence (AI) makes cyber threats more sophisticated, the role of swiftly resolving the public's cyber grievances is becoming even more important," adding, "We will continue to advance the 118 Counseling Center so it can provide easier and more convenient counseling services as the first cyber grievance channel people turn to."