Firms must be responsible for the safety of personal information -- Akahata editorial, February 27Data concerning personal information of nearly 4.6 million customers leaked from Yahoo! BB, an Internet service provider. The biggest ever leak has aroused public concern that personal information might be released and even abused.
It is an intolerable crime to illegally obtain customer information from a corporation for the purpose of intimidation. The need now is to take measures to prevent similar incidents from taking place.
Faulty data control
Massive customer information leaks recently took place also at Sanyo Shinpan, a customer finance company, and at Lawson, a major convenience store chain. Firms that store customer information must bear full responsibility for the safety of the data.
How the data leaked from Yahoo is still to be unraveled. Reports suggest that their control on personal data has been surprisingly careless.
Yahoo! BB, which made a rapid growth in broadband (high-speed digital Internet access technology) services, has set a goal of obtaining 6 million customers and 120 billion yen in operating profits by September 2005. We cannot but think that Yahoo has been too engrossed in obtaining customers and increasing their profits to be careful about personal information control. An example of careless control is that more than one person in the firm share the same password for their access to the data base.
There are firms that took steps after the leaks to limit the number of employees who can have access to the data, require employees to get superior's approval for access, or restrict access to the computer room. This shows how faulty the security of the data has been.
Personal information stored by firms includes sensitive items concerning privacy and human rights. The data must be controlled with the utmost care.
Today, information on millions of people can be stored on a memory chip. Careless management of the data will increase the likelihood of their massive outflow. It is very difficult to recover them or to prevent them from being misused.
Companies must be careful not to handle personal information in such a reckless way.
The leak of personal information is a betrayal of users. It is natural for people to say, "The corporation concerned is also to blame for causing damage because of its careless management of information data."
Rigorous maintenance of the safety of the data require hands and money. If the company gives profit and efficiency priority and pays little attention to safety, it may not be qualified to deal with such information.
Risks of illegitimate access and leakage of personal information are increasing in the "Internet era".
Companies must do their utmost to maintain the safety of personal information.
Many recent cases of leaks have been related with outsourcing of jobs and the use of temporary staffing workers. As more workers whom companies are not responsible for have access to personal information, the management of such data is likely to become slovenly.
Many corporations, which are increasingly dependent on temporary staffing workers and services providers by reducing full-time workers in order to maximize profits, should not forget that this way will only compromise the safe management of personal information.
To make assurance double sure
Also, the administrative responses are called into question for the repeated leaks of personal information.
The personal information protection law will go into force in April 2005, and safe storage of personal data will become obligatory. Effective counter measures and guidances are needed to prevent the illegitimate disclosure of personal information.
The government's Basic Resident Register Network is in operation, and absolute safety is not guaranteed at government offices which stores massive personal information. The task now is to review the safety measures and make every effort to prevent further leaks of personal information. (end)