[Update 3] Notice and Advisory for Business Partners and Former Employees Regarding Unauthorized Access to Group Managed Server and Potential Data Exposure

The Japan Times, Ltd. and News2u Holdings, Inc. (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; hereinafter “our Group“) hereby provide an update on the current status and response for our business partners and former employees regarding unauthorized access to our Group managed server and the potential exposure of information.

1. Overview and Status of Investigation

Following the ransomware incident identified on September 18, 2026, and claims made on October 15 by the attacker asserting that data was published on an external website, our Group has continued detailed investigations and data analysis in cooperation with multiple external specialized organizations and digital forensics firms.

Based on the investigation results to date, we have confirmed that the possibility of unauthorized access traces to the target server and potential exposure of information cannot be fully ruled out at this stage.

2. Affected Parties and Information Potentially at Risk of Exposure

Based on analysis by the digital forensics firm, we have confirmed that the possibility of external exposure cannot be completely ruled out for the following information stored on the affected server (an administrative file server operated until August 2022):

[Information Concerning Business Partners]

• Information of companies and individuals who had business transactions with our Group as of August 2022 (company names, contact names, addresses at the time, bank account details for wire transfers, etc.)

[Personal Information Concerning Group Employees and Former Employees]

• Personal information of individuals who were employed by or retired from our Group up to August 2022 (names, addresses at the time, payroll bank account details, etc.)

• Highly sensitive personal information belonging to certain individuals (including Individual Number / MyNumber information, passport information, residence card information, health insurance card information, etc.)

*Please note that this server does not contain any data from September 2022 onward.

*Digital services operated by The Japan Times, Ltd., including “The Japan Times Online,” subscriber databases, and payment systems, are operated on independent infrastructure, and no impact from this incident has been identified.

3. Action Plan for Affected Individuals

Prioritizing the safety and protection of all stakeholders, our Group has sent individual notifications today to current employees and individuals whose contact information could be identified who may be affected. For individuals who cannot be reached directly due to address changes or other reasons, inquiries can be made through the dedicated support contact below.

4. Request to Prevent Secondary Damage (Precaution Against Unauthorized Use)

Please review your bank account statements regularly to check for any unauthorized withdrawals or suspicious transactions.

Should you receive suspicious emails, phone calls, or physical mail impersonating our Group or affiliated parties, please exercise caution and refrain from clicking on embedded URLs, opening attachments, or entering passwords or PINs.

5. Future Outlook

We will continue implementing measures to prevent recurrence with the support of external experts, while continuing to report to and coordinate appropriately with relevant authorities, including the Personal Information Protection Commission and the police department with jurisdiction.

We sincerely apologize for the deep concern and inconvenience caused to all concerned parties. If you have any concerns or questions regarding this matter, please contact the inquiry desk below.