The Anti-Phishing Initiative
“So you’re going to make an app?”
“Yeah!”
On the final day of IDDC 2003, Yeong-sik came to see Yoo Jae-won with an unusually stern expression and a look of unwavering resolve. Normally, Yeong-sik spent his days holed up in the control room of the Coyote City data center or in the private office attached to it, famous for remaining glued to his computer throughout his entire shift. The fact that he had left his post to seek out Jae-won meant he had made a significant decision.
On the last day of IDDC 2003, Jae-won had returned to ID Technology headquarters to check on preparations before taking the main stage again when he ran into Yeong-sik. What Yeong-sik brought with him was a presentation file. Its name was straightforward: Anti Phishing. The app was designed to catch voice phishing calls.
“Shall we take a look?”
Though every minute was precious, Jae-won had no reason to deny Yeong-sik his time—especially for an app meant to combat voice phishing. At Jae-won’s nod, Yeong-sik immediately connected his latest S3 Android smartphone to the projector. One of the S3’s new features was video output through the micro-USB port. Jae-won had called the S3 a minor upgrade overall, but he had to admit the development team had added several thoughtful touches, including this video output capability.
Three minutes into the presentation, Jae-won understood exactly what Yeong-sik had envisioned. Unlike landlines, digital wireless calls displayed the caller’s number. The app would register known voice-phishing numbers and display a large warning whenever one of those numbers called.
“Who handles the registration?”
“I’ll do the initial entries myself. But once the scammers realize a number isn’t working, they’ll switch to new ones. For numbers I haven’t caught yet, I’m planning to let users update the database themselves.”
Before his regression, spam-blocking apps had appeared in response to the flood of voice phishing. Their operation matched what Yeong-sik described. While companies updated numbers, the real power came from users who had received the calls. No matter how diligently a developer maintained the list, user-generated big data proved far more effective.
“Sounds good.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Building a voice-phishing number database through user participation was an impressively forward-thinking idea.
“Think you can handle it alone?”
“A few teammates have offered to help. We’ll start together, and if we hit any walls, I’ll ask for assistance.”
The app didn’t require any extraordinarily complex algorithms. Success would hinge on user participation, and with so many victims of voice phishing, volunteers would likely step forward.
“And one more thing!”
Even after receiving approval for the Anti Phishing app, Yeong-sik still had something left to say.
“I’m also planning to join the ongoing class-action lawsuit over the personal data leak… Is that all right?”
There was only one major class-action lawsuit currently underway: the one against Paran, KT’s portal site. Yeong-sik’s own information had clearly been leaked from Paran. When he had registered, he had listed his title as “ID Technology Network Manager.” Even though he had long since been promoted to Supreme Network General Manager, a voice-phishing call a few days earlier had used his old title. He had also entered only his Korean home phone number instead of his American mobile number, since Paran was a Korean portal. That was why the scammers had called his house and startled his mother.
“Of course you should. The lawyers won’t understand the technical details, so make sure you help them. If they need more authority, feel free to use my name or ID Group’s.”
Jae-won gave his full approval for Yeong-sik’s participation. It had been roughly ten years since the Personal Information Protection Act was enacted, yet companies that had suffered major penalties for data leaks were rare. Security awareness was steadily eroding. The Paran incident was ultimately a matter of insufficient security consciousness. If this lawsuit could instill a real sense of caution in the industry, it would be worthwhile. Of course, to drive that lesson home, they first had to win decisively in court.
“Thanks! I’ll get started right away!”
With Jae-won’s permission secured, Yeong-sik rushed out of the office, his face flushed with excitement.
“That’s Yeong-sik for you.”
Ever since elementary school, whenever something captured Yeong-sik’s interest, he threw himself into it with frightening intensity. In elementary school it had been computers; in middle school, networks.
“This time it’s voice phishing, huh.”
Jae-won silently wished the scammers luck—along with the portal executives who would soon be served with lawsuits. The Anti Phishing app was something Jae-won himself had overlooked, but Yeong-sik’s family becoming a target had brought it forward at exactly the right moment.
“All’s well that ends well.”
After watching Yeong-sik’s retreating figure disappear like a storm, Jae-won returned to his own work—the grand finale of IDDC 2003. The announcement of Xbox 2’s successor.
The previous day’s reveal of Fantasy Universe–Legend League had already shaken the gaming industry. In the PC gaming market, MMORPGs dominated. Worldwide, World of Warcraft and Lineage 2 boasted simultaneous user counts in the millions and overwhelming firepower. After MMORPGs, FPS games were the next most popular. Doom 3 had become a classic, while online-only titles like Counter-Strike, Sudden Attack, and CrossFire divided the remaining market share.
With such entrenched giants controlling the online gaming world, new releases struggled to break through—especially those in unfamiliar genres. Yet Fantasy Universe–Legend League had pierced that seemingly impregnable ranking system in a single stroke. Immediately after the announcement, it claimed the top spot in Korean PC-bang game share. The next day, World of Warcraft’s first expansion, The Burning Crusade, pushed it to second place, but Legend League continued to demonstrate steady strength rather than fading away. This was despite the fact that only quick matches were available during the pre-season period.
The true enjoyment of AOS games came from ranked matches. If ranking began immediately upon launch, skill gaps would become painfully obvious, so a 100-day pre-season had been implemented. Once ranked play started, players would undergo placement matches and receive a rank matching their skill level, after which the endless climb toward higher ranks would begin.
Gamers were diving headfirst into Legend League. It was only natural—the game offered the highest level of polish and quality among all AOS titles. Every hero featured a solid fanbase and recognition. When the official release arrived, original characters would also be revealed, boasting outstanding illustrations, compelling backstories, and meticulously designed skills that stood shoulder-to-shoulder with established heroes.
The one-two punch of Fantasy Universe–Legend League and World of Warcraft’s The Burning Crusade was powerful enough to devastate the gaming industry. To ensure no gap remained, game studios under ID Entertainment released sports and FPS titles as well. The final flourish would be Xbox 2.
Real Camera had already hinted at the development of a next-generation console, sending gamers’ expectations soaring. Today, those rumors would become official.
“I wish I could unveil the actual hardware today.”
Unfortunately, the only information being released was Xbox 2’s official launch date and design. Developing a game console wasn’t something that could be completed overnight. Of course, if Jae-won made a firm decision, it wasn’t impossible. Since Xbox was PC-based, borrowing the latest CPUs and GPUs and creating custom boards with ID Technology’s expertise wouldn’t be difficult. The real issue was the aftermath. Even setting aside mass-production costs, there were currently no games ready to run on Xbox 2. A next-generation console should deliver next-generation graphics quality. Achieving graphics impressive enough to make eyes widen required enormous budgets and time.
First-party and third-party developers had already received Xbox 2 specifications and development kits, and they were working hard toward a launch the following year. Jae-won judged that revealing the console’s specs, design, and teaser footage of upcoming games would be sufficient for now.
“All right, let’s go.”
Having completed his final checks, Jae-won stood up. It was time to bring the dazzling festival to a close. As he headed into battle, he picked up his weapon—an extremely precious item that had arrived via air freight the previous day.
The next day!
After successfully concluding IDDC 2003 and returning to his routine, Jae-won sat in his study for the first time in a while, browsing news articles on his computer.
- IDDC 2003’s Glorious Finale! Xbox 2!
- Chairman Yoo Jae-won Declares the Start of the Next-Gen Console War!
- Custom Hexa-Core CPU Combined with Next-Gen GPU, 4GB Standard Memory!
- Full-HD Environment Perfectly Supported!
- Enhanced Network Features!
- The Only Drawback: Optical Media—Existing DVDs to Be Retained.
Articles about Xbox 2, with its sleek curved lines housed in a tower-style case, filled Jae-won’s cinema display. The console dominated headlines in IT and gaming magazines. General newspapers covered it as well, though with less emphasis—gaming remained a niche interest for certain demographics.
Instead, gaming internet communities overflowed with Xbox 2 articles. The one generating the most clicks was this:
- Customizable Cases! Even the Najeon Chilgi Edition Shown at IDDC 2003 Is Possible!
The secret weapon Jae-won had unveiled the previous day was a mock-up model of Xbox 2. Among them, the Najeon Chilgi Edition had instantly captured gamers’ attention. While a standard plastic model was also shown, the dazzling Najeon Chilgi version—with its distinctive black lacquer gloss and intricate mother-of-pearl inlay—seized the gaze of both gamers and ordinary viewers alike. The Xbox 2 logo, embroidered with brilliant abalone shell on the glossy lacquer, was nothing short of an art piece.
Luxury editions of Android smartphones or iPhones plated in gold and studded with diamonds occasionally appeared in the Middle East or Europe, but those commanded high prices solely due to the precious metals; their artistic value was near zero. In contrast, the Najeon Chilgi Edition Jae-won presented was art in itself. Hundreds of inquiries had already flooded the Xbox website asking when reservations would open and how much it would cost.
Ding!
“Oh?”
While surfing communities to catch up on internet trends, Jae-won received an alert—not from ID Talk or text messages, but from email.
- I watched yesterday’s showcase. As expected from Chairman Yoo, it was an impressive presentation. The Najeon Chilgi Edition was also surprising. However, we’ve been preparing diligently as well, so the winner in the next-generation console war will be Sony.
The sender was Ken Kutaragi, president of Sony Computer Entertainment. During the PlayStation 1 era, they had occasionally exchanged messages via ID Talk, but after Sony abandoned the Android operating system with PlayStation 2 and ID Group launched Xbox, their relationship had completely fractured. Now they had reached the point where Kutaragi was sending provocative emails declaring Sony’s intent to release PlayStation 3 alongside Xbox 2’s launch.
- Understood. We won’t lose this time. Let’s give it everything we’ve got.
Though tempted to simply close the email, Jae-won sent a brief reply. Avoiding a fight that came to him went against his nature.
Ding!
A second alert sounded. Fortunately, it wasn’t an immediate response from Kutaragi. It was a message from Chief of Staff Kim Dae-seok via ID Talk. The gift Jae-won had prepared to celebrate Tiffany’s promotion had arrived.
The gift was the latest model of Rolls-Royce Phantom—a car so popular that buyers had to wait in line. Since BMW’s acquisition, the revived Phantom had become a symbol of the brand’s resurgence. Jae-won had chosen it because Tiffany frequently used a car for commuting, and now that she had become a Chevron executive, a large, comfortable, and safe vehicle seemed appropriate. Despite the rush order without a reservation, one had been available.
With IDDC 2003 successfully concluded and the gift prepared, August 2003 could truly be called a perfect month. Yet it wasn’t entirely flawless. Just as everything seemed to wrap up beautifully, an irritating incident occurred across the sea: Prime Minister Koizumi’s visit to Yasukuni Shrine. The news arrived on the morning of August 15th—Liberation Day.