Key facts
- GMO Internet is investigating a cyberattack on its cloud trading service.
- Attackers demanded $50 million in cryptocurrency and threatened to disclose customer information.
- The company will compensate customers for losses from unauthorized trading.
- GMO will issue a ¥5,000 goodwill payment to all customers using the affected service.
- The attack potentially affected 26,739 servers.
- Customer information was taken, and some users reported unrecognized transactions.
Japanese internet provider GMO Internet is investigating a cyberattack on its cloud trading service, Onamae.com Desktop Cloud, after attackers demanded $50 million in cryptocurrency and threatened to disclose company and customer information. The company has refused to pay and is cooperating with authorities. The attack potentially affected 26,739 servers, with customer information taken and some users reporting unrecognized transactions. GMO shares fell almost 16% on Monday to a four-month low. The company began investigating on October 19 after a customer inquiry and confirmed a malicious program on October 20, suspending access and shutting down servers. GMO will compensate customers for losses from unauthorized trading and issue a ¥5,000 goodwill payment to all users.