Helpline for Yakuza victims fears it leaked their personal info
- Reference: 1732253047
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2024/11/22/helpline_for_yakuza_victims_may/
- Source link:
The Kumamoto Prefecture Violence Prevention Movement Promotion Center offers [1]counselling services for those being extorted by gangsters, those who want to leave organized crime groups, or even parents whose children find themselves in a relationship with a Yakuza member.
Services are promised to be free and confidential.
[2]
Confidentiality is crucial, as Japan's organized crime groups are no more forgiving than their counterparts elsewhere. Members are known to observe a rigid hierarchy and be exceedingly loyal – some even self-mutilating to demonstrate their commitment.
[3]
[4]
Leaving the Yakuza is known to be extremely difficult, as is reintegration into society. While the ranks of gangs have thinned considerably in recent decades – from around 180,000 [5]in the 1960s to [6]around 10,000 today [PDF] – they remain active.
On Thursday the Center [7]placed a notice on its website admitting a potential disaster: it had been phished.
[8]Japanese Yakuza boss charged with nuclear trafficking by the US
[9]Mafia works remotely, too, it seems: 100+ people suspected of phishing, SIM swapping, email fraud cuffed
[10]Japan looks to nuclear energy to power AI-powered datacenter boom
[11]Cops across the world arrest 51 in orchestrated takedown of Ghost crime platform
A staff member was using his work computer when he received a popup warning him his computer had been disabled and to call a number for support. He did so, followed the instructions, and unintentionally gave criminals remote access. He cut off the internet and turned off his computer once he had realized his error.
But by then it may have been too late. It is unknown if the roughly 2,500 addresses, names, and phone numbers contained on the computer were successfully accessed by the cyber attackers.
[12]
In the meantime, the Center is contacting those who may have been affected.
The Center asked that all residents of the prefecture immediately report anyone who contacts them claiming to be from the organization. It's also advised citizens not to open any email from unfamiliar sources or respond to any requests. ®
Get our [13]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.kumamoto-boutsui.com/contact/soudan.html
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Z0BkUxeb0I4Tip_FruBx9wAAAAU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z0BkUxeb0I4Tip_FruBx9wAAAAU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z0BkUxeb0I4Tip_FruBx9wAAAAU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://web.archive.org/web/20220806083304/https://www.npa.go.jp/hakusyo/h11/h110400.html
[6] https://web.archive.org/web/20240330010050/https://www.npa.go.jp/sosikihanzai/R05sotaijousei/r5jousei.pdf
[7] https://www.kumamoto-boutsui.com/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/22/yakuza_boss_doj_nuclear_charges/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2021/09/21/europol_arrests/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2024/11/20/hokkaido_electric_power_nuclear_datacenter_ambition/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2024/09/18/51_arrests_ghost_platform/
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_security/front&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z0BkUxeb0I4Tip_FruBx9wAAAAU&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: So now the Yakuza can get revenge on many people
Yeah, it's that second point that worries me.
From the sounds of it, the hackers had TeamViewer or similar access for a few seconds / minutes before they were noticed. There seems a reasonable chance that this wasn't long enough to install a more sophisticated RAT or indeed exfiltrate data from the local government network
If they didn't actually get the data, then announcing it publicly will have done a lot more harm than good
That is brutally irresponsible
Although I'm wondering if it really was a hack - it strikes me that it is probably easier to get an insider to collaborate (by, for instance, the usual threat to limbs and relatives).
C:\README.TXT
One would kind-of assume that this type of information would be sitting encrypted in a database that is encrypted on an encrypted disk on a heavily fortified computer with tamper-proof HSM that resets itself even if nothing is wrong, all of which is encased in a steel shell inside a vault with no electricity or network access, pumped vacuum to prevent air-gapped access, etc., etc. Bit of a let-down when a complete stranger simply dials in from somewhere and takes all this stuff.
A bit like the other day when the [1]Dutch police were robbed of all their personal details .
[1] https://nltimes.nl/2024/09/27/names-contact-details-dutch-police-officers-stolen-hack
Re: C:\README.TXT
And with a cascading procedure of interacting with the data.
On a sidenote: I wonder if we should consider the idea of a databank, which would serve as a safe storage and exchange system for data, similar to how a bank safeguards money.
Unlike money, people often don't hesitate to trust their data to various companies, even though it's frequently mishandled.
He cut off the internet...
And now he gets to cut off his own little finger.
Harakiri
Or slightly harakiri himself...
So now the Yakuza can get revenge on many people
All for the price of hiring a hacker for a few thousand bucks.
Plus they get the side benefit that no one is ever going to trust that or any similar organizations to keep them safe from the Yakuza, so the number of people willing to speak out against them is probably gonna drop by 99%.
Great job Kumamoto Prefecture Violence Prevention Movement Promotion Center!