Dai-ichi Life says 120,000 employee records may have leaked in HR system breach
In short
Dai-ichi Life Group and Dai-ichi Life Insurance said a human-resources system used by the two companies was accessed without authorization and information on about 120,000 employees, including retirees, may have leaked. ITmedia reported that about 70,000 of the records concern former staff and that the access occurred on Sept. 24. The companies said no customer data damage had been confirmed and have not disclosed the cause.
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Dai-ichi Life Group and Dai-ichi Life Insurance said on Oct. 2 that a human-resources system used by the two companies was accessed without authorization, and that information on about 120,000 employees may have leaked. NHK News reported the group's announcement that employee information, including that of former employees, may have been leaked and put the figure at roughly 120,000. [ 1 , 2 ]
ITmedia reported that about 70,000 of the records concern retirees. The data that may have leaked includes employee numbers, names, addresses, telephone numbers, gender, affiliation, position, duties and supervisors' names, according to ITmedia, which added that people seconded from the two companies to group companies are also covered. [ 1 ]
ITmedia said the unauthorized access occurred on Sept. 24 and that the retirees affected include internal staff who left the company from 1967 onward and sales staff who left from 2017 onward. As of Oct. 2, no damage to customer information had been confirmed, the report said. NHK's account did not include the retiree breakdown, the Sept. 24 date or the list of data fields. [ 1 ]
The companies have not disclosed the cause of the access, according to ITmedia, and said they would promptly announce any information that should be disclosed. Neither document says who was behind the access or whether any of the data has been misused. [ 1 ]
Why it matters
The group is a major life insurer, and the data potentially involved are basic personal details of current and former staff, including people who left as long ago as 1967, which the documents suggest widens the group of people who may need to be notified. The documents do not describe any regulatory response or confirmed misuse of the data, and the companies said they would announce further information if there is any that should be disclosed.
Key facts
- Dai-ichi Life Group said an internal human-resources system was accessed without authorization and information on about 120,000 employees may have leaked. [ 1 , 2 ]
- About 70,000 of the records concern retirees, according to ITmedia. [ 1 ]
- Potentially exposed data includes employee numbers, names, addresses, telephone numbers, gender, affiliation, position, duties and supervisors' names, ITmedia reported. [ 1 ]
- People seconded from the two companies to group companies are also included, per ITmedia. [ 1 ]
- Retirees covered include internal staff who left from 1967 onward and sales staff who left from 2017 onward, ITmedia reported. [ 1 ]
- The unauthorized access occurred on Sept. 24, according to ITmedia. [ 1 ]
- As of Oct. 2, no damage to customer information had been confirmed, ITmedia reported. [ 1 ]
- The companies have not disclosed the cause and said they would promptly announce any information that should be disclosed, according to ITmedia. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The cause of the unauthorized access and how it happened. ITmedia says the companies have not disclosed the cause, and neither document explains how the access occurred.
- Whether any leaked data has been misused, and who was behind the access. Neither document addresses this.
- The roughly 70,000 retiree records and the Sept. 24 date of the access. These appear only in ITmedia's report; NHK's account does not include them.
- Whether customer information was affected. ITmedia says no customer data damage had been confirmed as of Oct. 2, a single-source statement limited to that date; NHK does not address customer data.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Unauthorized access to the human-resources system used by the two companies occurs, according to ITmedia. [ 1 ]
- ITmedia reports that Dai-ichi Life Group and Dai-ichi Life Insurance announced that information on about 120,000 employees, about 70,000 of them retirees, may have leaked. [ 1 ]
- NHK News reports the group's announcement that employee information, including that of retirees, may have leaked. [ 2 ]