Breach of diplomatic network between Japan's Foreign Ministry and embassy in China leaks documents
In 2020, the diplomatic communications network between Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japanese Embassy in China was breached and diplomatic documents were leaked. The attackers were believed to be Chinese hackers, and the specific content and volume of the leaked documents have not been determined.
Key facts
- Affected organisation
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
- Incident type
- Data breach
- Occurred / detected
- Not confirmed
- Scale of damage
- Diplomatic documents leaked; specific scale not determined
- Cause / method
- Breach of the diplomatic communications network by attackers believed to be Chinese hackers
- Location
- Japan
If your data was exposed
- Don’t tap links in texts, calls or emails that mention this incident and offer compensation, refunds or breach checks. Check directly on the organisation’s official website or app.
Timeline
- The 2020 breach of Japan's diplomatic communications network and the leak of diplomatic documents came to light.
1 related reports
Other incidents at Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
Japan’s Foreign Ministry: possible leak of around 3,600 personal data records
3.6kImpact: Possible exposure of around 3,600 personal data records, including names and email addresses
A breach of the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s network for external communications may have exposed around 3,600 personal data records, including names and email addresses. Around 900 of these records relate to external contacts rather than employees. The unauthorised access was detected in July, and neither the classified communications network nor consular systems handling passports were targeted; no misuse of the information or subsequent harm has been confirmed.
Related reports: 9 · last report →
The summary and key facts are written by AI from related reports and may contain errors. Check the original articles and the organisation’s official statements for accurate details.