The Financial Services Agency on Wednesday ordered Alico Japan to reinforce its management of client information following the leakage of credit card information concerning around 32,000 customers.
The Japanese arm of American Life Insurance Co. is required to promptly adopt measures to place customer data under strict control, including steps to prevent a recurrence of such leaks, and submit a written report on them to the FSA by March 24, the financial industry watchdog said.
While the order was issued under the insurance business law, Alico Japan also became the first insurer advised by the FSA to improve its management system under the personal information protection law.
According to earlier reports submitted by Alico Japan to the FSA, the leakage of customer data occurred between March and May 2008 and was traceable to questionable access to the company's host computer in the United States via an identification number given to an employee of a Chinese company to which the insurer had outsourced its development operations.