Japan gov't asked telecom firms to block extortion site in GMO data breach
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's government asked telecommunications companies to block access to a website carrying purported customer information stolen fro
Japan's government has urged telecommunications firms to block access to a website hosting what they claim are stolen customer details from GMO Internet Group Inc., according to sources familiar with the situation. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications has made this request to industry associations, including the Telecommunications Carriers Association, as there are concerns the data could spread further.
When asked about this at a regular press briefing, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara did not disclose specific actions but emphasized that relevant organizations are collaborating to address the issue promptly. The site initially published one person's personal information on Tuesday and later became inaccessible, although this was not due to the blocking request.
GMO announced on Wednesday that the site had become inaccessible after taking action alongside other entities. The hacker, suspected to be responsible for a recent unauthorized access to GMO's foreign exchange trading service, had threatened to release the personal information of additional customers daily via an online statement.
The issue of forced blocking has recently garnered attention in Japan, as there is ongoing discussion about its potential use against illegal foreign online casinos.
Written by urgent.news from The Mainichi's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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