Personal information, including customer images held by major car-sharing service Times Car, has been leaked, involving approximately 6.6 million records. With leakage incidents at other companies also occurring one after another, experts explain the current situation and measures individuals can take to protect themselves.
Large-scale information leaks, including the incident involving Times Car, have been reported, with the leakage of approximately 6.6 million records of personal information confirmed. Approximately 1.6 million of those records reportedly included images used to verify identity, such as driver's licenses. The leaks are believed to have expanded over a period of about 2 weeks since late September.
During the same period, information leaks also occurred one after another at other companies. The incidents reportedly involved approximately 10.79 million records in the official app of a yakiniku chain, approximately 120,000 individuals at Dai-ichi Life Insurance, approximately 220,000 records at Daiwa Securities, approximately 100,000 individuals at Citizen Watch and approximately 1.74 million individuals at Mister Max. Experts have pointed to the possibility of a common vulnerability.
According to an IT journalist, the volume and speed of cyberattacks have increased with the advance of digitalization and the development of AI, and all Japanese companies may be potential targets. The characteristics of the leaks cited include the large volume of information involved, the short time required to steal the data and the prominence of incidents involving apps.