From TechRadar · · 2m
8.7 million karaoke fans hit by malware breach
Japanese entertainment giant Daiichi Kosho says a malware infection at contractor Nippon Columbia exposed customer and employee data.
In brief
Japanese entertainment giant Daiichi Kosho says a malware infection at contractor Nippon Columbia exposed customer and employee data. Malware at a third-party contractor exposed personal data of 8.7 million customers and employees of Japanese karaoke company Daiichi Kosho, though no payment data or confirmed misuse…
Malware hits karaoke giant's contractor
Daiichi Kosho, a major Japanese karaoke and entertainment company, disclosed that a malware infection at contractor Nippon Columbia Group may have exposed data of 8.7 million customers and employees.
What data was exposed
Records contained full names, genders, dates of birth, email addresses and telephone numbers. No passwords, loyalty points or payment data were disclosed, and there is no evidence of misuse on the dark web.
The contractor's discovery
On October 5 2026, Nippon Columbia Group notified Daiichi Kosho that it found a malware infection and isolated the affected systems the day after. The exact infection type and how it occurred remain unknown.
Who Daiichi Kosho is
Founded in 1973, Daiichi Kosho is one of Japan's leading karaoke and entertainment companies. It runs more than 400 karaoke venues across Japan, including more than 100 in Tokyo, and generates roughly 163 billion yen…
Affected karaoke brands
Customers of BIG ECHO, MEGA BIG, Karaoke CLUB DAM, Banana Club, B-GARAGE and DK Dining are among those affected by the attack. The company also runs restaurants and produces music and videos.
Why stolen data matters
Personally identifiable information holds value on the black market because threat actors can use it to launch personalized phishing attacks to steal login credentials, deploy infostealers and establish persistence in corporate systems.
Daiichi Kosho's warning
The company warned employees and customers to be wary of incoming email messages, especially unsolicited ones claiming to come from the company itself.
Next steps and review
Daiichi Kosho said it was inspecting other systems and examining how it manages contractors to see if there is room for improvement. If further investigation reveals new facts, it will promptly provide an update.
“If further investigation reveals any new facts, we will promptly provide an update, including the customers affected and the measures to be taken.”
What matters most
Malware at a third-party contractor exposed personal data of 8.7 million customers and employees of Japanese karaoke company Daiichi Kosho, though no payment data or confirmed misuse has been reported.
