Japan's GMO says forex customer data was leaked and used in fraud

GMO Internet Group said Saturday it had confirmed that customer information linked to its foreign exchange trading service was leaked without authorization and used in fraudulent transactions, Kyodo News reported.

The company also asked the Japanese government to take preemptive cybersecurity measures, which Nikkei Asia described as a request for "active cyber defense."

Why it matters: GMO is one of Japan's major internet groups, and the leaked data was used for fraudulent trades rather than only exposed.