Daiichi Kosho contractor malware infection exposes 8.7 million customer records

Japanese entertainment system maker Daiichi Kosho disclosed that a malware infection at its contractor, Nippon Columbia, exposed personal records. BleepingComputer reported that the incident affected more than 8.7 million customer and employee records, although its report headline initially cited 8.6 million. [1]

Daiichi Kosho is the largest karaoke manufacturer in Japan and operates 521 karaoke venues nationwide, according to BleepingComputer. These venues include the Big Echo chain, which is one of the most popular karaoke box chains in the country. Daiichi Kosho outsources the management of its customer personal information to Nippon Columbia Group. [1]

Nippon Columbia was originally founded in October 1910 as Nippon Phonograph Co., Ltd. by Fredrick W. Horn. The company adopted the Columbia brand in 1931 after affiliating with the Columbia Graphophone Company of the United Kingdom, before changing its name to Nippon Columbia Co., Ltd. in 1946. [2][3]

The record label pioneered audio technology in Japan by releasing the country's first long playing record in 1951. It also launched the world's first commercial compact discs and CD players in 1982. The company operates internationally as Nipponophone and continues to operate as Denon. [2][3]