Japanese research agencies report data breaches

Two Japanese research institutions have reported data breaches resulting from unauthorized access.

The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) announced that personal information belonging to 175 individuals was leaked following unauthorized access to a research support website. The breach, detected on September 25, involved the unauthorized downloading of 2,419 registered files. Compromised data includes 200 images of identification cards with photos, 146 radiation-related health examination results, and 21 radiation worker certificates. Notably, the My Number identification details of six individuals were included in the leak. JAEA stated the site is independent of its internal business network, preventing impact on other systems.

Separately, The Institute of Energy Economics, Japan, reported a breach caused by a phishing attack. The attack led to unauthorized access to the Microsoft 365 accounts of six staff members. Investigations revealed traces of 5,417 email views and 3,272 file views, with 2,798 files suspected of being downloaded. The institute has since suspended the affected accounts and updated passwords to secure its systems.