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Millions of Clients Exposed: Japanese Power Firm Loses Data Drive
13 Jun
Summary
- A storage drive with data of nearly 11 million clients was lost.
- The drive was reportedly left in an unlocked cabinet.
- No bank or credit card details were compromised in the incident.
Kyushu Electric Power Co., a major regional utility in Japan, has issued an apology following the loss of a data storage drive. This drive contained personal information for nearly 11 million clients, including their names and telephone numbers, though critical financial data like bank account or credit card details were not on the device.
The incident occurred when IT staff used an external storage device for data backups on April 27, 2026. This drive was then stored in a server room cabinet, accessible to only 57 personnel. However, on May 26, 2026, the cabinet was discovered unlocked, and the drive was missing.
Kyushu Electric reported the loss to the police on June 4, 2026, and has since interviewed staff who accessed the server room. Despite these efforts, the drive has not been located. The company is investigating all possibilities, including unauthorized removal. The Personal Information Protection Commission and relevant government authorities have been informed, with a deadline of July 8, 2026, set for Kyushu Electric to report on the incident and mitigation measures.
