More Japan firms report customer data leaks as unauthorized access widens

More Japanese corporations, including Citizen Watch Co., reported unauthorized access to servers and potential leaks of personal information on Tuesday, with the government describing the situation as serious. GMO Research & AI Inc., a GMO Internet Group subsidiary, disclosed that up to 948,500 records of members on its infoQ survey website were stolen, encompassing names, email addresses, home addresses, phone numbers, and encrypted passwords.

Mr. Max Holdings Ltd. revealed that customer data from its app and online store were leaked, potentially impacting up to 1.7 million individuals by exposing names, email addresses, and phone numbers, though not credit card information, home addresses, or birth dates. Citizen Watch Co. stated that around 100,000 customers' data might have leaked due to unauthorized server access, including names, addresses, phone numbers, and credit card details as well as bank account information.

The revelations follow similar incidents reported in recent days. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara emphasized the gravity of the disclosures, stating the government would swiftly evaluate the damage's extent. GMO Research & AI also disclosed that approximately 2.9 million yen worth of rewards, earned by completing surveys on their infoQ website, were illicitly exchanged for Amazon gift card codes.

The firm pledged to reimburse affected members for the full value of fraudulently exchanged points and urged users to change their passwords. The breach commenced last Friday, and the company blocked unauthorized access and suspended services the following day. The hackers exploited a software vulnerability, according to GMO Research & AI, and are now investigating with a cybersecurity firm.

Mr. Max reported detecting unauthorized access late Saturday afternoon and immediately suspended services. While no misuse of stolen information was confirmed, the retailer advised customers to remain vigilant against phishing emails.