The login IDs and passwords of people who purchased tickets for the Tokyo Olympics have been leaked online, according to a new report on Wednesday.
According to the Japanese news agency Kyodo, a government official said the same information belonging to those who bought Paralympic tickets, as well as individuals who used a volunteer portal for the Summer Games, was also leaked online. The official, speaking on a condition of anonymity, noted that organizers of the Tokyo Olympics have launched an investigation into the leaks.
The number of personal identifiers leaked is “not large,” the official said, adding that certain measures have already been put in place to stop the information from spreading.
The information of ticket buyers and volunteers was likely obtained through unauthorized access to computers and smartphones, the official added. The hack could lead to additional personal information, including individuals’ names, addresses and bank accounts.
Also on Wednesday, Japan’s National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity (NISC) warned that the Olympics would likely be a target of hackers looking to exploit the event. The risk of hacks is heightened because of delays caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic, the agency said.
Just two weeks before the Tokyo Games, officials announced most of the events would be held without spectators, apparently due to a spike in COVID-19 infections, despite an earlier plan to offer limited seating.
“It is extremely regrettable that the games will be staged in a very limited manner in the face of the spread of novel coronavirus infections,” Seiko Hashimoto, president of the organizing committee said. “I am very sorry for ticket holders and local residents who were looking forward to the games.”
The Games were already postponed last year amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The number of infected cases in the area including Tokyo has been increasing since the end of last month,” Japanese Prime Minister Yoshide Suga said earlier this month.
“The number of severe cases and bed occupancy rate continues to be on the low level, but considering the impact of variants, we need to enhance countermeasures so that the infection will not spread nationwide.”
