Japanese internet company GMO Internet Group acknowledged on November 2 that security specialists had warned about weaknesses in its Onamae.com Desktop Cloud service roughly two years before attackers breached the platform, exposing customer information and enabling unauthorized transactions, The Japan Times reported.
At its first press conference since the incident, CEO Masatoshi Kumagai said experts at group cybersecurity subsidiary GMO Cybersecurity by Ierae had identified system problems in 2024. GMO carried out four emergency maintenance rounds, but the warnings were not adequately incorporated into service operations. Kumagai said he learned of the earlier findings only after the breach, ITmedia reported.
The attack affected more than 26,000 customer cases, including dozens of securities firms and other businesses, and some customers reported transactions they did not recognize, the Associated Press reported. GMO’s October 24 incident update confirmed that customer information had been taken outside the service. Abijita’s earlier report on the Onamae.com Desktop Cloud breach covered the initial disclosure. The breach had already prompted three-month pay cuts for four executives, according to GMO’s November 2 disclosure and Abijita’s report.
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