JAPAN: Japanese video game developer Sega Corp says information belonging to 1.3 million users was stolen by hackers

Record ID: 464272

  • Title: JAPAN: Japanese video game developer Sega Corp says information belonging to 1.3 million users was stolen by hackers
  • Date: 21st June 2011
  • Summary: TOKYO, JAPAN (JUNE 20, 2011) (REUTERS) SEGA'S TOKYO HEADQUARTERS SEGA SIGN MORE OF SEGA'S TOKYO HEADQUARTERS
  • Embargoed: 6th July 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan, Japan
  • Country: Japan
  • Topics: Crime
  • Reuters ID: LVABTVFTG5GP1UZF2GACK2ALAOJG
  • Story Text: Japanese video game developer Sega on Sunday (June 19) said that information belonging to 1.3 million customers had been stolen from its database, the latest global hacker attack against a video game company.
    Sega Sammy Holdings Inc. shares subsequently fell 1.5 percent to 1,536 yen ($19.2 USD) on Monday (June 20).
    The firm, known for game software like Sonic the Hedgehog, said that names, birth dates, e-mail addresses and encrypted passwords of users on the Sega Pass database had been stolen, though payment data such as credit card numbers was safe.
    The Sega Pass, run by Sega's European unit Sega Europe, had been shut since June 16.
    Sega said it was unsure when services would be restarted.
    The Sega Pass website currently displays a maintenance notice.
    "SEGA Pass is going through some improvements so is currently unavailable for new members or existing members to modify their details including resetting passwords," it said.
    The attack on Sega followed other recent significant breaches, including attacks on Citigroup and the International Monetary Fund.
    However, Sega's data theft paled in comparison to what Japanese PlayStation maker Sony Corp experienced following two high-profile attacks that surfaced in April.
    Those breaches led to the theft of account data for more than 100 million customers, in the largest ever hacking of data outside the financial services industry.
    Some Japanese said the companies were targeted because of their global reach.
    "I think Japanese corporations are targeted because they do global business and collect personal information from customers all over the world," 28-year-old businessman Naoki Koyama said.
    Others said they felt apprehensive about data security.
    "I'm scared. Just a small mistake can trigger a data leak," said 37-year-old businessman Yashinobu Katsuishi.
    "They need to be more cautious because it's private information they're dealing with," 74-year-old retiree Ryoichi Shiraiwa added.
    Shares of Sega Sammy traded 1.8 percent lower on Monday, after it fell as much as 5 percent at one stage.
    Lulz Security, a group of hackers that had launched cyber attacks against other video game companies including Nintendo, had unexpectedly offered to track down and punish the hackers who broke into Sega's database.
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