Japan pension system hacked; 1.25 mil cases of personal data leaked

Like with so many other things here, prevention is a word thought about after the fact.

Public outrage over botched record-keeping that left millions of pension premium payments unaccounted for was a major factor in a devastating defeat suffered by Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party in a 2007 election for parliament’s upper house.

And, it still hasn't been fixed. This pension system is a poorly managed scam! One of the companies I worked for made me pay into it, which I strongly objected to. I went as far as to write a letter to the minister pleading that I did not need to be a part of this scam because I have no intention of retiring here. Of course, my plea fell on deaf ears. Now, I have a little over ten grand locked in this scam and will only ever see half of it again, if I am lucky. Now, with this leak of data there is a good chance the unscrupulous will start siphoning off funds for themselves. And, what's the bet the infected computers were still running XP?

Japan should improve its cyber security but it shouldn't let it is handled by the US (a recent news spoke about an "US umbrella"), it's pure nonsense.

Any reason such info are accessible from internet?

Again Abe??

Fool us once shame on you. Fool us twice shame on the Japanese public for continuing to elect you.

Proves again that Japan Pension Service is inept at crisis management.

Problem is that computers are made in native english

Are they even going to bother to inform those whose info was leaked? I think Japan's revised privacy law requires it.

Problem is that computers are made in native english

Not really.

The hackers were just checking up on people to make sure they were getting their pensions properly. It's really nothing to worry about. The pension system is very organized and a great way for foreigners and non foreigners alike to invest in an excellent savings opportunity.

Some employees are using the same computers on the desks for pension system program and personal emails go and come. It was matter of time to get infected with virus and to lose a lot of data. The computer for pension system should be separated from personal PC.

Some parts of the government are not entitled to the information of other parts of the government, so this could have been done by the NPA or some other security branch, you know, in the name of protecting the people. Heck, it even could have been the CIA.

Or it could have been some lone hacker or a small group of thieves. And who would they sell the information to? Oh yeah!

If their computers are anything like the ones I see in other government buildings, they're probably still using Windows95 with out-of-date virus software to boot!

Problem is that computers are made in native english problem is Japanese companies and gov dept are woefully underskilled in cyber security

Only one person here got it correctly, so kwatt-san must have been watching the news too.

People were using the same computers for their own private mail and obviously shopping on line clicking away on ads and other dubious things.

The system should be a closed system, with only one portal to allow access from pensioners to see their own pensions.

Really dumb.

shame on the Japanese public for continuing to elect you.

Please keep in mind that only a tiny, tiny, fraction of the Japanese public elected him to office, and that is and of itself a problem with Japan.

Just put sellotape over the network port on the computers, that'll solve any scary virus problems. That damn Microsoft huh! How dare they end support for XP. What are they gonna do next, take away our fax machines?

Dumb.

I said it yesterday, Japan as NO security. Why is this system connected to the internet!

This is complete BS, Abe fall on the sword please and get out!

You've got to love the way the Japanese take action. Abe will instruct the minister to "consider the recipients" and he in turn will instruct his staff to "set a priority". With action like that being taken (again, same as in 2007) what could possibly go wrong?

luckily for us, these thieves won't want the data of foreigners. so we're safe.

This is the beginning. When all the experts begin predicting the next global market crisis, and everyone is an expert from the last one; some new "twist" has to be added or everyone with a few thousand bucks is going to get rich with shorts, options, and volatility stocks, right? So, the big guys have to come up with something new. I have been predicting that this time around, it will either be "deflation" which makes the markets impossible to predict or allow the little guy to make any money; or this kind of crap: Vacuuming people's accounts dry and blaming it on cyber-terrorism. Just watch.

Virus does not download by itself some ojisan has to click on that "click-bait" emails. Govt must set up some kind of strict regulations. In Japan it is very easy to get someone's personal data, just hack into some of these company's servers; gas, electricity, phone, Internet provider, fudosan, store point card, membership card. The worst thing is each one of them is online and sends SPAM mails all the time.

A proper network would be checking all email attachments for viruses. The fact that this was missed doesn't say much for their network security.

Strangerland: Japan seems to think keeping your anti virus upto date is how to stop hackers, it's the worst security policy out there and Japan needs alot of help

A number of people got email at the same time with attachments, and they opened the attachments, something that anyone using a computer for any length of time KNOWS is trouble. Incredibly stupid.

They are going to send out letters to those whose data was leaked.

They are going to send out letters to those whose data was leaked.

By email I suppose, snail mail from the government here, when THEY are wrong takes forever and then some. But heaven forbid if you owe them, the letter would be at your house yesterday.

Komuin in this country need a serious lesson in remembering just who they work for and who is paying their bills.

It bugs me to no end that many of the folks in government here think they are above the law and better than everyone else.

Given the age those computers might have (and the fact that nobody ever heard of Linux in their IT department), I guess that even a high school boy with an internet connected Android tablet could have done it...

LOL @ the complaint that the systems are in English -

1: it proves how utterly incompetent these people are both at English and at computer security matters... Similarly with the Japanese flight controllers and the Japanese soccer referees :)

2: It is totally inexcusable to wait for the Japanese translated version to be finished in order to update security sensitive software, because in the meantime the holes are made public and any 16 yo schmuck with some hacking knowledge can steal such data. Yet, this happens daily in Japan...

3: If it's not clear yet, yes, I'm totally pissed about how my private data is in Japan. If it's of any importance, I'm getting a much higher than average for my age salary, and paying much more than the average Japanese of my age into the pension system. I'm not sure I'll get to see any of it back, FF's sake...

Please keep in mind that only a tiny, tiny, fraction of the Japanese public elected him to office

What "tiny, tiny fraction"?

5%? 1%? Tell us. We want to know about your tiny, tiny fraction.

Well, when the "Hey! Hey it's me! I need help!" scam works so well on individuals, why not companies/organizations?

What "tiny, tiny fraction"? 5%? 1%? Tell us. We want to know about your tiny, tiny fraction.

Remember that the Japanese PM is "elected" from within the party in power and not by the public. Abe won his election in Yamaguchi prefecture only, and a quick search showed he garnered roughly 118,000 votes from the district he was elected from.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaguchi_4th_district

So to answer your question I would guess that he won election with less than 0.01% of the "national" vote. (Of which there is none as PM's are not elected in a national election.)

What a great way to fix the pension crisis! The system is 'hacked' (still using Winny are we, public servants?) which leads to, "We're sorry, it seems someone else has already claimed your pension." for millions of retirees.

If this brings down Abe a second time, will he come back for a third round?

How do I know, I am among those 1.25 million whos data hacked ?

I like how they output the number 1.25 million) :) Makes it seem like they have ANY IDEA about what they're talking... and I bet they don't...

If I was the hackers I would've waited a few more months when the "my number" system is implemented, they'd have a much more complete data of everyone, health care, investment accounts, taxes, etc. Now they're "alerted", not that it means anything for determined hackers.

Explain me why this is a problem caused or occurred because Abe is in the Office? Or is just the same ol' game of "Blame the PM/president for I is stupid"

"One of the companies I worked for made me pay into it, which I strongly objected to."

I wouldn't "object" to that. Kosei nenkin pays pretty decently, and your company kicks in. Better than getting no money in retirement.

"...I did not need to be a part of this scam because I have no intention of retiring here."

You dont need to retire here to collect it. Also, many countries have pension accords that allow you to use your contribuatory time here and transfer it.

"Now, I....will only ever see half of it again, if I am lucky."

Why only "half"?

Yubaru, by your definition, all Japanese prime ministers are elected by a tiny, tiny percentage. You're basically saying "Abe is a Japanese prime minister."

Serrano:

This isn't even his final form. He won't give up until this place is ruined.

The computers I have seen are running Avira with Windows 7.

Yubaru, by your definition, all Japanese prime ministers are elected by a tiny, tiny percentage. You're basically saying "Abe is a Japanese prime minister."

In reality they are, that's politics here. And I am sorry I dont follow the second sentence here.

Clunky system at the best of times.

I was abroad in February this year when a letter arrived here asking me to confirm my Japanese address, by the end of February, or they would stop my pension. They stopped it, and I had to plead my case when I got back in March. Finally came through two weeks ago in May.

Better than nothing, though, but this latest leak has left me feeling disappointed, to say the least.