NTT Solmare has partially resumed its Comic CMOA manga service after suspending it for almost two weeks because of unauthorized external access to its servers. The service began restoring functions on October 29, with members required to reset their passwords before using them.
The restored features include viewing purchased works through a web browser, using the unlimited reading service through a web browser, changing member information, and requesting cancellation of registered monthly plans and unlimited reading services.
Comic CMOA’s bookshelf function is expected to return soon. The ability to purchase works and points will resume progressively, depending on the payment method. Automatic purchases of new releases, site cancellations, new member registration, and access to records such as points, purchases, and monthly subscriptions remain unavailable.
NTT Solmare has warned users to be alert to suspicious emails and other communications. It also advised members to change their passwords on any other service where they used the same email address and password combination.
Users accessing the service from outside Japan, including through a virtual private network, remain unable to access the website because of geographic access restrictions. The company’s latest announcement did not address this issue.
Comic CMOA announced emergency maintenance on October 15 and later said there was a high likelihood that an outside party had accessed its servers without authorization. The company confirmed the incident the following day and reported that some member information had been exposed, including email addresses, dates of birth, genders, nicknames, and hashed passwords.
The company later said it had identified the cause of the access and was working with specialized organizations on preventive measures and the resumption of services. It also confirmed that certain system log files had been accessed and retrieved. According to an October 21 update, approximately 4.2 million entries in those files were affected, although some entries may contain duplicate information for the same customer. The company also confirmed that 319 registration records in the member database had been leaked.
NTT Solmare stated that credit card information is not stored in the affected system and was not leaked. It also said that, as of its updates, no purchase history or data from members’ My Bookshelf sections had been confirmed as leaked or damaged.
Sources: Anime News Network.