Data on nuclear studies, workers may have leaked from university

Hacked: a good news. Hopefully those hackers might release crucial important data, which would change us from Tepco B.S and Japanese government censored information.

OYAMA–Personal information and nuclear research, including studies concerning the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant, might have leaked in a cyber-attack at the University of Toyama here, the school reported Oct. 10.

The leaked data could possibly affect 1,492 students, researchers and individuals from public organizations and companies who conduct joint studies with the institution’s Hydrogen Isotope Research Center.

“We apologize for causing great trouble to associated organizations,” said Yasumaru Hatanaka, the university’s vice president.

However, the research that might have leaked, such as studies on water decontamination at the Fukushima nuclear plant, had all been previously presented at academic meetings, so there was no breach in confidentiality, the university said.

No malicious use of the data has been reported since the data breach came to light in June.

According to the university, the cyber-attack targeted a computer operated by a part-time employee specializing in tritium research at the center.

An e-mail containing malware was sent to both the worker and a professor with the facility in November 2015. The professor did not open the e-mail, but the employee did, causing the computer to become infected with a virus.

As a result, the employee’s computer became remotely accessible, and it made connections with four outside servers between November and June. The university’s investigation showed that the computer sent large amounts of data to two of these servers.

A further analysis of the computer found indications that at least 1,000 archive files had been created between last November and February.

Considering their size, nearly all the data stored in the computer may have been compressed into these files. Similar archive files were created using a different method in March, the university said.

The university became aware of the cyber-attack after an outside organization warned the school about suspicious network activities made by the employee’s computer.

http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201610110055.html

October 14, 2016 - Posted by dunrenard | Fukushima 2016 | Data, Fukushima Daiichi, Nuclear Studies, Nuclear Workers