Mitsubishi Electric data may have been compromised in cyberattack

TOKYO, Japan – Mitsubishi Electric Corporation said on Monday, January 20, it has been targeted in a massive cyberattack, and that information regarding government agencies and other business partners may have been compromised.

A key player in Japan’s defense and infrastructure industries, the electronics giant said it has confirmed highly sensitive information in the defense, power, and railway sectors was unaffected.

A Chinese cybercrime group is suspected of carrying out the unauthorized access to personal computers and servers, it said.

In June last year, the company spotted irregular activity on a device located in Japan, and conducted an internal investigation, which found unauthorized access to the management section at its head office and elsewhere.

Mitsubishi Electric has been a major manufacturer in the defense field, and had the third-largest contract for major defense equipment at the Defense Ministry in fiscal 2018.

It has also been involved in the cybersecurity business. – Rappler.com