JP — ITmedia
Tochigi Police May Have Leaked Data on All Staff; Arcadia Unauthorized Access Sees Other Prefectural Police Victims Emerge
Security1 min read
Police in Tochigi Prefecture may have leaked personal data of about 3,900 staff members. The leak is linked to a hacking attack on Arcadia, a company that sends disaster alerts, and other prefectural police forces have also reported possible leaks.
What happened
Arcadia, a company in Osaka that runs disaster information services, was hacked. Newspapers reported that the personal data of all Tochigi police staff, about 3,900 people, may have leaked. The data was used for a system that checks on people's safety during disasters. As of October 20, no misuse had been confirmed.
Key numbers
- Tochigi: about 3,900 staff may be affected.
- Kanagawa: about 16,000 of about 17,000 staff may be affected.
- Saitama: about 13,000 staff records may be affected.
- Aichi: about 15,000 records. Fukuoka: about 11,000 records.
- Gunma: about 3,700. Hiroshima: about 5,700. Kagawa: about 2,400.
How the problem started
Arcadia found the hacking on October 11. Its mass-alert service, called SpeeCAN RAIDEN, was hit. More than 700 local governments in Japan use this service to send disaster emails. Some of them have stopped sending alerts or said their data may have leaked.
Why it matters
Police and local governments use these systems to warn people and check on them in emergencies. If the systems are not safe, staff privacy is at risk. It can also hurt trust in the services that keep people safe during disasters.
What to watch
- Whether anyone misuses the leaked staff data.
- How many more prefectural police and local governments report leaks.
- What Arcadia finds about how the attackers got in and what it will do to fix the system.
Glossary
- SpeeCAN RAIDEN
- Arcadia's mass-alert service that sends one message to many people at once.