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Gov't tries to reassure public over pension data leak

32 Comments
By Linda Sieg

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32 Comments
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Try all you want, TRUST has been lost.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

I wanted to avoid to say this but...the fact this event happened immediately after it was announced that the US will extend their "cyber defense umbrella" over Japan sounds fishy. Pure coincidence? Now they can say "See? You need us!" Of course mine it's just speculation but the timing of the two events is too much suspicious.

-5 ( +5 / -10 )

Get ready for the LDP spin. "This is very regrettable...however all preventative measures will be undertaken to ensure this unfortunate accident never happens again..... everything is under control."

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Japanese people are often confused when using large numbers in English. There could be 100 million leaked accounts for all we know.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

We will make every effort to keep this from causing inconvenience to those whose data was leaked and to review the issue and take preventive measures,” Abe’s top aide, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, told a news conference.

Details please!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Alex80: "Pure coincidence? Now they can say "See? You need us!" Of course mine it's just speculation but the timing of the two events is too much suspicious."

We know you are anti-American, and you said yourself on the thread preceding this that Japan needs to update its security ("just not with the US!"), so yes, it is just coincidence. And despite you thinking there is something fishy about the timing, the timing IS actually solid proof that Japan DOES need to sorely update its cyber-security. I very highly doubt, as you implying, that this is any kind of conspiracy, though. If it were truly a conspiracy they would have focused on something minor, and more relevant to national security as a whole -- ex. China or NK trying to hack Japan's Department of Defense -- they wouldn't target the names and personal info of pensioners, which by the way puts Abe's neck out again.

Anyway, Japan really DOES need to improve their cyber-security. FAR too lax, as has been shown a million times. Do it with the US, or not -- it makes more sense to do it WITH them since they have the know-how, and even though Alex will disagree for no reason whatsoever -- it needs to be done yesterday. In the meantime the government has already let secrets and information slip so many times, and in particular have screwed up things with pension, that there is no reason to trust them, and I hope people are outraged at this. It would be great if it helped bring down Abe for a second time.

5 ( +10 / -5 )

Abe out NOW!

7 ( +8 / -1 )

“We will make every effort to keep this from causing inconvenience to those whose data was leaked and to review the issue and take preventive measures,”

does it mean govt will provide new name, new residence and new date of birth ...(?)

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Sad to say, but people should just be happy that they are even getting a pension from this ridiculously indebted government. Enjoy it while it lasts.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

@smith: I'm not interested in discussinng with people who label me as "anti-American".

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Often times hackers like this are just having a bit of fun and don't really mean to cause any real and lasting damage. Cyber security here is generally top notch! Online banking for example is extremely convenient here in Japan and hassle free. Hackers cant compete with the strength of security infrastructure in Japan.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

crustpunker: "Online banking for example is extremely convenient here in Japan and hassle free."

Maybe it's the difference in banks, but I found the Japanese online banking system to be the most backwards, frustrating, and inconvenient of any I've experienced. It IS pretty secure, which is the topic at hand, I'll grant you (with the extra card you have to check for the rotating code number after your PIN). But convenient? NO WAY. You can't do international wire transfers or pretty much any other international business, and in many cases you can't do regular wire transfers or other things if it is past a certain time at night. It's getting better, but it's still pretty crappy.

fxgai: "Sad to say, but people should just be happy that they are even getting a pension from this ridiculously indebted government. Enjoy it while it lasts."

For a change we're in agreement. I have had a number of Japanese people recently telling me, since I'm getting older, "You should go now while the going's good. Japan will be hard enough for Japanese in the future. For foreigners? I'd be pretty worried."

5 ( +9 / -4 )

Abe's famous phrase, "Let me assure you the situation is under control" can be applied here... ;-)

4 ( +4 / -0 )

@smith: Stop label me as Anti-American. It's offensive. I have a brain and when I see something weird I express my doubts. Too many times my doubts were correct.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

No more bickering please.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

smithinjapan,

For a change we're in agreement.

Awww! We only bicker about tennis right? I'm sure we could be BFFs if we put that aside.

"You should go now while the going's good. Japan will be hard enough for Japanese in the future. For foreigners? I'd be pretty worried."

I think foreigners and Japanese alike with valuable skills will be OK, so long as critical infrastructure supplying food and so forth remains operational. I think it will even if things get bad. This will still be Japan, even if some bad stuff goes down.

As for pensions, I'm preparing my own...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

When my Japanese company loses client data we are required to inform the client. How about the Japanese government? Even the USA's IRS informed taxpayers affected by a recent data leak.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Hackers cant compete with the strength of security infrastructure in Japan.

So cute.

Here is a non exhaustive list of recent and successful cyber attacks in the top notch super secure Japan : 20 millions users info stolen at Yahoo Japan (which is a Japanese company); same thing for Sony (a big reference in top notch security isn't it) but affecting 77 million Playstation users to which you can add the 100 terabytes of data stolen from Sony picture; data breach at Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd.; data breach at JAXA; point-of-sale systems used by cashiers at supermarkets infected by a virus that steals customers’ credit card numbers and passwords; $473 million worth Bitcoin stollen at Mt. Gox and of course 1.5 millions users info stolen at the Japan Pension Service which is probably more given the aptitude of Japanese to lie about this kind of things to save face.

In general, it is known that companies in Japan are among the world’s most vulnerable to a cyber attack, so yeah keep convincing yourself about your top notch cyber security here. Hackers or security experts are laughing at the security infrastructure in Japan.

Or maybe you are just trying to blindly defend Japan, aren't you?

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Bwahaha! Damage control much? How about ensuring that it couldn't happen in the first place? You bunch of tossers! This is people's retirement funds that they have worked for all their lives and you wankers have left it open to a bunch of high school hackers? Everyone involved in the management of the pensions should at least be penalized. I'd like to see them fired, but they would only be replaced with another bunch of brain-dead yes-men! I am on this data-base and o want my money back! It's so pathetically absurd that this could happen in so-called 'developed' country. I want my money back tomorrow!

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government sought on Tuesday to assure the Japanese public their pensions were not at risk after a big data leak?

Not at risk? And absolutely no explanation of why they believe there is no risk . I have to agree with Alex80 of this one, the timing of this seems more than coincidental. It wouldn't be the first time a government has created a false flag to achieve its agenda.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Stuart: "It wouldn't be the first time a government has created a false flag to achieve its agenda."

So, the very same thing that toppled Abe once, you're saying he's going to do AGAIN and risk further damage to his reputation? because so far that's all it's accomplished, and if HE himself doesn't know what such a leak did the first time to his career he's even more unfit to be a leader than most people know he is.

Seriously, guys, think for a second. If the Japanese government were behind this, why the pension fund private info? Surely with Abe demanding people trust him on national security issues it would benefit his plans to leak the information of defense documents or something and claim it was China and that's why we have to better defend Japan, etc. They are on DAMAGE CONTROL because of this leak, and FAILING! No way they did this on purpose. And you guys seem to forget that this kind of leak happens ALL THE TIME because the system here is so weak at stopping hackers and cyber-crime. It's a coincidence, plain and simple. And for the government, a very bad one given the damage that's been done. People aren't suddenly saying, "YES! We need to team up with the US and improve cyber-security!". They are demanding heads roll.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Smith: Do you really believe this could bring Abe down at this moment? And since when has Abe worried about his reputation, other than with big business and right wing agenda? I'm not claiming to have proof the government is behind this, but you have to admit the timing couldn't be more perfect.

I wrote it wouldn't be the first time a government created a false flag to achieve its agenda. Your response suggest it's never happened nor could it. How many powerful people were held responsible for the false flag war of Iraq? That's much more complex of a situation than this, yet they played every card so well, none of the architects will go down for their actions.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Not that I think, after the horse has bolted, that they have a lot of choice, but I'm displeased that my taxes now have to be spent on the huge number of postal mail notifications that are going to be sent to all those whose data was compromised,

It's particularly galling that the security breach was due to simple human stupidity that could,, with enforced policies in place, have easily been avoided.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Pensions not at risk and what's more important then this. Blaming Abe for cyber attacks that's insane as this attacks are logically must be more likely link to opposition in the form of indirect action or sophisticated plot.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

There is no reassurance you can give me to make it alright. The government of Japan and buearucats screwed up royally. The horse has left the building.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

DisillusionedJun. 02, 2015 - 08:33PM JST , Said,

I want my money back tomorrow. ------------ If you are talking about pension payments, then you should know that all the payments you make are not for your own pension but for someone else. What a brilliant devious plan. Die just before your pension age and kiss your payments goodbye.

Some other morally advanced countries fund pensions from taxes paid by it's citizens. Everyone is treated fairly and equally so you don't need the " powers to be " hound you for pension payments over and above your normal income or insist that your 80 year old parents pay it for you after you lose your job and have no income.

The whole pension system could be fixed overnight just by using people taxes and notifying everyone who reaches the age for entitlement to register for their pension payments. No need for the government to waste so much money in trying to get people to pay. At the moment, hundreds of people are being employed to ring people and get a promise to pay. Many people promise just to get rid of the telephonees. The cost of employing these people and paying the post to send out all the forms is huge. To me, it seems like paying 1000 yen to get 500 yen back.

Japan, take a lesson from New Zealand. The weekly pension ( called Super ) is around 33,000 yen a week for a single person and paid fortnightly. In Japan a normal pension is around 60,000 yen per month and paid every 2 months. NZ around 132,000 yen per month, Japan around 60,000 yen per month.

.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Not sure if it was mentioned but the hacking might be local by the Yakuza for their "Ore Ore" scheme, don't see another reason to get Pensioners details.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

In Japan a normal pension is around 60,000 yen per month

Sorry, that's wrong. Most people receive kousei nenkin which pays 150,000 yen on average. You are referring to kokumin nenkin which is for a small minority of people who are unemployed, part-timers, or freelance workers.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

It was an email virus. That means a pension employee clicked on an unknown email attachment. How about educating public employees on Internet safety?

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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