Sony Life Insurance discloses leakage of about 385,000 customer records; web services and app suspended

Sony Life Insurance confirmed unauthorized access by a third party on October 27 and blocked external access to the affected systems on the morning of the 28th. At the same time it suspended the "お客さまWEBサービス", the official app, and the direct claims service (no timeline for restoration has been announced). About 385,000 records were leaked, including names, dates of birth, sex, addresses, phone numbers, policy numbers and contract details. The leaked data also include contract information for メディケア生命 policies that Sony Life handles as an agent. My Number, credit card and bank account information are not included.

The company has reported the incident to the Financial Services Agency and set up a temporary toll-free number. Claims for insurance benefits and payments are being accepted by phone. As of October 28, there has been no confirmation of fraudulent use of the data; the company is advising customers to be wary of impersonation emails, SMS or phone calls. The intrusion path and methods are under investigation, and detailed causes have not yet been disclosed.

When policy numbers and contract details are leaked together, that information can be used for insurance fraud or for scam calls that pretend to offer a "policy review." Even if a contact claims to be from the insurer, it is effective to verify with authorities or official channels before postponing notices or accepting proposed contract changes. It should also be noted that the 385,000 figure refers to the number of information items, not necessarily distinct individuals.

There is a possibility that the suspension of the policyholder-only site will be prolonged; further updates are awaited on whether switching to telephone or mail handling for claims procedures will cause any disadvantages in receiving compensation or benefits.