Have you ever used a search engine called HappyHotel?
There is one reason to use this particular search engine, and it is finding a “love hotel” in Japan. If you’ve used HappyHotel’s services, you should know that it has suffered a data breach at the end of 2019.
HappyHotel.jp Data Breach on the Verge of 2020
Love hotels also known as sex hotels are popular in East Asia, but mostly in Japan. HappyHotel.jp, in particular, works in a way similar to Booking.com, and it enables its registered users to discover and book love hotels all over Japan. Unfortunately, the website has suffered a data breach, according to a message posted by Almex, the company that owns HappyHotel.jp.
Highly Sensitive Information of HappyHotel Users Affected
Almex says that breached data includes personal and highly sensitive details such as real names, email addresses, usernames and passwords, birth dates, gender information, phone numbers, home addresses, and payment card details.
“We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and anxiety that may have caused our customers and other concerned parties,” the company said in the message. It is noteworthy that another love hotel search engine operated by Almex was shut down recently. The reason, however, was not disclosed. There haven’t been any comments from the company so far.
There are no traces of HappyHotel’s user data online, meaning that perhaps it still hasn’t been leaked, ZDNet research indicates. However, due to the highly sensitive nature of the data, the data breach remains highly hazardous. Furthermore, it is very similar to the Ashley Madison hack that took place in 2015.
If HappyHotel’s user data ends up leaked online, the compromised individuals may face blackmail attempts. In Ashley Madison’s case, some users even committed suicides.
Hopefully, this time it will not come to that.
Milena Dimitrova
An inspired writer and content manager who has been with SensorsTechForum since the project started. A professional with 10+ years of experience in creating engaging content. Focused on user privacy and malware development, she strongly believes in a world where cybersecurity plays a central role. If common sense makes no sense, she will be there to take notes. Those notes may later turn into articles! Follow Milena @Milenyim
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