Disaster info service halted in parts of Japan over data breach fears

The communications ministry announced on Wednesday that disaster information services have been halted in several parts of Japan due to concerns over a potential personal data breach. Reports of service disruptions or possible data leaks have been received by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications from 110 local governments.

The company responsible for transmitting emergency and disaster alerts, Arcadia Inc., has been asked to provide an assessment of the damage. Some local governments, including Yokote, Akita Prefecture, and Kagawa Prefecture, have reported suspending the services. Arcadia confirmed that suspicious access to their system, named SpeeCAN RAIDEN, was detected on Sunday.

The company estimates that up to 3.14 million residents' addresses may have been exposed, and it remains uncertain when normal operations will resume. The fire department-related services, NET 119 and 119 RAIDEN, also showed signs of unauthorized access. These systems are crucial for fire departments throughout Japan to disseminate fire and disaster information to personnel, volunteers, and media outlets.

The Shimane prefectural police revealed that around 16,000 email addresses associated with their information distribution system, which shares crime prevention information and reports on fraud victims, might have been compromised. Additionally, the Hiroshima prefectural police discovered a possible leak involving the names, departments, and email addresses of about 5,700 police officers and others.

The police received a notification on Tuesday about unauthorized access to their safety-confirmation system, which provides email-based safety checks for police officers and others during emergency situations. This system had been outsourced to Arcadia for operation, and investigators are currently determining the full extent of the breach.