Japanese firms compensate users after cyberattacks disrupt services
Japanese companies are compensating users after a series of cyberattacks disrupted internet services and raised economic stability concerns. GMO Internet will pay customers 5,000 yen ($32) each as a goodwill gesture following unauthorized access to its foreign exchange trading service. The move follows Japan's Friday announcement of an AI-based team to simulate cyberattacks and identify system weaknesses, as organizations scramble to address flaws in the PHP programming language. GMO's shares slumped 11 percent in Tokyo morning trading, and the company received a ransom demand it refused to pay. Government and company websites in Japan, Europe, and elsewhere went offline last week after critical PHP vulnerabilities triggered millions of hacking attempts. Separately, Park24, operator of the Times car-sharing service, will pay customers 3,000 yen following a personal data breach.