GMO Internet Admits Risk Analysis Gaps After VPS Breach

Who knew, and who did not

Asked whether cost and business continuity had come first, Representative Masatoshi Kumagai said he had never used words like "profitable" in 31 years, and that customers' smiles were his yardstick. He also said President Tadashi Ito and Yamashita knew of the 2024 warning, but it was not reported to him. He said he learned of it through this incident.

Questioned about whether Ierae's voice carried enough weight inside the group, Kumagai conceded that a newly joined company struggles to be heard and gains influence as trust builds. He said its opinions now carry through.

On a claim by a person believed to be the attacker that they contacted the vulnerability reporting desk several times and were ignored, Kumagai said no such reports arrived and called it a lie meant to damage the company's reputation. He added that any employee who had ignored a report would have been dismissed.

Social media and resignation

Kumagai had hinted on X at possible North Korean involvement; he said that was a personal view, not the group's official position. Asked about smiling photos posted during the turmoil, he said they were meant to deter the attacker, and he apologized. He will refrain from posting for a period after a summary post on the press conference, unless the attacker acts again.

He also rejected resignation, saying he cannot die while the internet remains polluted by malice. Asked whether he would step down once customers smile again, he gave no concrete answer. He also pitched a "Cyber Aegis" concept to the Takaichi administration, under which malicious IP addresses would be detected and carriers asked to block them, acknowledging legal hurdles such as secrecy of communications.