As cyberattacks are increasingly described as a threat close to home, approximately 1.26 million personal-information records may have been leaked in unauthorized access at Hankyu Hanshin Department Stores, while large volumes of personal information are also reportedly believed to have leaked from a hometown-tax donation website and Yumilink. There have also been reports that Chinese-made AI was involved as an attack platform.
On 19 October, companies disclosed damage from unauthorized access. Approximately 1.26 million personal-information records may have been leaked from Hankyu Hanshin Department Stores, and the hometown-tax donation website Furusato Choice temporarily suspended its services. Approximately 9 million personal-information records are reportedly believed to have leaked from the email-distribution service Yumilink.
An investigation by GMO Cyber Security by Ierae confirmed that a Chinese-made AI system was being used as an attack platform targeting Japanese companies. It found that 8 companies targeted by the AI had disclosed information breaches.
Tanaka Yuto (田中 悠斗), a specially appointed professor at Digital Hollywood University, was invited as a guest to discuss the realities of cyberattacks, ways to protect personal information and specific countermeasures from the perspective of a white-hat hacker.