Muji operator apologizes for data breach

Detailed summary

The operator of the Muji chain of retail stores is one of the latest Japanese companies hit by cyberattacks. Its president has apologized for breaches of customer data, including…

The operator of the Muji chain of retail stores is one of the latest Japanese companies hit by cyberattacks. Its president has apologized for breaches of customer data, including more than a million credit card numbers. The compromised data include that of former members.

Ryohin Keikaku President Shimizu Satoshi said at a news conference on Thursday the incident had caused tremendous inconvenience and concern.

The company has revealed that more than 27 million e-mail addresses and nearly 1.1 million credit card numbers may have been leaked.

The company also said a further 270,000 pieces of customer information might have been compromised in cyberattacks using passwords illegally obtained from other services.

Shimizu said, "Part of our system had vulnerabilities that allowed unauthorized access from outside. We take responsibility for what has happened, and take it very seriously."

Shimizu vowed to correct deficiencies in the system and tighten monitoring. The company says the credit card numbers that were compromised had not been handled in a way to protect them from third parties.

It also says the information of some former members had not been deleted, despite internal rules requiring it be so after a certain period.

The firm says it will bear the full cost of replacing the credit cards and offer compensation based on its assessment of any damage confirmed.

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