In a significant cybersecurity incident, Japanese publisher Kadokawa has revealed that a data breach has compromised the personal information of 254,241 people. This revelation comes after a thorough investigation by third-party experts.
The bulk of the affected data, involving 186,269 individuals, pertains to the Kadokawa Dwango Educational Institute, a prominent correspondence school. The breach’s findings have been duly reported to the government’s Personal Information Protection Commission by Kadokawa.
The data leak is extensive, encompassing all employees of Dwango Co., a Kadokawa subsidiary that operates the popular Niconico video-sharing platform. Additionally, personal details of business partners, such as artists and designers, have been exposed.
In terms of educational institutions, the breach includes information on current students, their guardians, graduates, and exam applicants. Furthermore, contract details of Dwango’s business partners have also been compromised.
The investigation attributes the data theft to phishing attacks, which successfully harvested employee account information, thereby granting unauthorized access to the group’s internal network.
Stay tuned for further updates as the situation develops.
(Source: Japan Times | The Cyber Express)
