Data Breach: Toyota (TM) exposes millions of Japanese customers' data due to human error

Toyota (NYSE: TM) revealed Friday that almost the entire Japanese customer base who signed up for its main cloud service platforms since 2012, 2.15 million users, has been publicly available for a decade due to human error.

The incident, which also affected customers of its luxury brand Lexus, comes as the company makes a push into vehicle connectivity and cloud-based data management which are seen as crucial to offering autonomous driving and other artificial intelligence-backed features.

The issue, which lasted until mid-April, stemmed from human error, leading to a cloud system being set to public instead of private, a Toyota spokesperson said. The information that was available could encompass details such as vehicle locations and identification numbers of vehicle devices, but there were no reports of malicious use, the company said.

"There was a lack of active detection mechanisms, and activities to detect the presence or absence of things that became public," the spokesperson said in response to why it took time to realize there had been an error.

The automaker said that they would introduce a system to audit cloud settings, establish a system to continuously monitor settings, and thoroughly educate employees on data handling rules.

Affected customers included those who signed up for the T-Connect service that provides a wide range of services including AI voice-enabled driving assistance, auto connection to call centers for vehicle management, and emergency support in such cases as a traffic accident or sudden illness.

The issue also affected were users of G-Link, a similar service for owners of Lexus vehicles.

Toyota said steps to block outside access to the data were taken after the issue was discovered and an investigation into all cloud environments managed by Toyota Connected Corp was being carried out.

Shares of TM are up 1.08% in morning trading on Friday.

By Michael Elkins | [email protected]

You May Also Be Interested In

• Bank First National Corp. (BFC) appoints three new directors to board
• U.S. Bank hires Eric Levine to head healthcare payments unit
• TEN Holdings files for 5 million share offering at $1.25 per share