Malware attack at Nippon Columbia exposes millions of karaoke records

Japanese entertainment system maker Daiichi Kosho disclosed that a malware infection at its contractor, Nippon Columbia, exposed personal data, BleepingComputer reported. The incident compromised more than 8.7 million customer and employee records held by the third-party provider. [1]

Daiichi Kosho is the largest karaoke equipment manufacturer in Japan and operates 521 venues across the country. BleepingComputer reported that these locations include Big Echo, which is one of the most popular karaoke box chains in Japan. Daiichi Kosho outsources the handling of customer personal information to Nippon Columbia Group. [1]

Nippon Columbia was founded in October 1910 as Nippon Phonograph Co., Ltd. by Fredrick W. Horn and initially introduced gramophones to the Japanese market. The record label affiliated with the Columbia Graphophone Company of the United Kingdom in 1931, renamed itself Nippon Columbia in 1946, and released the first commercial compact discs and CD players in 1982. [2][3]

The contractor, which also operated under the name Columbia Music Entertainment between 2002 and 2010, continues to manage international operations under the Denon brand. Daiichi Kosho has not yet provided further details on the specific malware variant or remediation steps. [1][2]