Hackers got into a Sony internet provider's member database in Japan. About 2.5 million records leaked, and prize-scam messages are already a worry.
Sony Network Communications, the Sony-owned internet provider in Japan, says hackers broke into its So-net member database and exposed 2,585,481 customer records. Some of the stolen data also includes email passwords. The company says it has seen no misuse so far, but a prize scam is already being flagged.
The break-in happened on October 19. The company found it four days later, on October 23. It then shut down the affected servers and blocked outside connections. It has reported the incident to Japan's Personal Information Protection Commission and is still investigating the cause and scope.
Of the exposed records, 2,141,986 belong to So-net and 443,495 to plala (S Course). A separate set of 54,401 email addresses from several email services was exposed along with their passwords. The company tells users to change their passwords.
The plala records matter to another company too. NTT Docomo pays Sony Network Communications to run its Docomo Hikari internet service. Docomo says every current Hikari customer is affected, along with anyone who canceled in the past six months.
Readers outside Japan, or who never used these services, are not directly involved. Sony also says no bank, payment card or other account details were exposed. That lowers the money risk, though it does not remove it.
Docomo has already warned about phishing emails and fake websites. Phishing means a message built to trick you into handing over personal details. The fakes imitate Docomo's d POINT Club and a Universal Studios Japan campaign. They claim you won tickets and ask you to enter personal information to claim them.
A leaked password is dangerous mainly if you use it on other sites. Criminals often try the same email and password combination elsewhere. That is why a reused password turns one breach into many.
The alert box above lists the steps. The short version: change passwords on these services, and anywhere you reused them. Be skeptical of any surprise prize message.
As of October 27, neither Sony Network Communications nor Docomo had confirmed that the stolen data was being misused. The investigation is not finished, so the full picture could change.
The breach is part of a wider run of attacks on Japanese companies this year. The material mentions KDDI, which reported a breach affecting 12 million customers, and GMO Internet Group. The Japanese government held urgent meetings on Monday to plan its response.
If you use So-net, plala or Docomo Hikari, change your passwords now and treat any surprise prize message as a scam.
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