The key facts

  • GMO Internet Group confirmed blocking the hacker’s domain that published customer data after an unpaid ransom
  • The affected customer is under the protection of the metropolitan police; they said the published information was “partly accurate, partly not”
  • Japan Airlines reported a possible leak of 92,000 records, including passport data of about 2,000 customers

Provider removes site containing customer data

Japanese internet provider GMO Internet Group, which was hit by a cyberattack, said on Wednesday that a website where a hacker published information allegedly belonging to a customer had become inaccessible after measures taken by the company. “We have confirmed that the perpetrator’s website domain has been removed”, GMO said, according to Kyodo News, as reported by the Anadolu agency. The company added that it would take action if it discovers another similar site.

Hacker published data after ransom demand went unpaid

The hacker, believed to be behind the recently identified incident of unauthorized access to GMO’s foreign exchange trading service, released customer data on Tuesday after the company did not respond to the ransom demand. The attack targeted the Onamae.com Desktop Cloud service: an investigation launched after a customer’s report confirmed on October 20 that a third party had installed an unauthorized program on the servers of some customers.

Police protect the victim and assess the damage

The customer whose data is claimed to have been published is under the protection of the Metropolitan Police Department for security reasons, Kyodo News reported, citing an investigative source. According to the source, the person told investigators that the information posted online was “partly accurate and partly inaccurate.” Police have asked GMO to assess the scale of the damage.

Japan Airlines reports a possible data leak

Also on Wednesday, the airline Japan Airlines announced that a leak of personal data from 92,000 customer records may have occurred, including passport numbers and citizenship information of about 2,000 people. The airline is one of the latest Japanese companies to report an unauthorized access incident.