2026 Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs — about 3,600 records with names and email addresses exposed through the external email and data exchange network
Data compromised
Names and email addresses. About 3,600 records in total, of which roughly 900 belong to people who are not ministry staff, according to Nikkei. The ministry says highly confidential information was not involved and that its passport systems and travel advisory services were not affected. The number of individuals is not given.
Technical writeup
Root cause
The ministry announced on October 30, 2026 that unauthorized access had reached the network it uses for external email and data exchange. It blocked access, invalidated authentication credentials and investigated with an outside specialist firm. It found the information may have reached a third party and pledged stronger security. Reports differ on when the intrusion was detected: a Japanese report says late July, while the Anadolu Agency report says it was detected on a Wednesday before the October 30 announcement.