Japan nuclear agency worker loses work phone with confidential data in China

A worker at Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority reported losing a work smartphone with confidential data while passing through security at Shanghai airport in November; the NRA has notified Japan's Personal Information Protection Commission and warned staff against taking work phones abroad.

A worker at Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority reported losing a government-issued work smartphone while passing through security at a Shanghai airport in early November. The employee noticed the phone was missing three days later and was unable to recover it after checking with the airport. The NRA issues smartphones to certain employees so they can respond promptly to emergencies. The NRA was established after the 2011 Fukushima disaster to oversee nuclear safety and the restarting of reactors. Known details: - The phone is believed to have been lost on Nov. 3 during a security check while the employee was on a personal trip. - The employee noticed the phone missing three days later and did not recover it after checking with the airport. - The NRA issues smartphones to some staff for emergency response duties. - The affected NRA department is reported to handle protection of nuclear materials against threats such as theft and terrorism. - The NRA reported the incident to the Personal Information Protection Commission and has warned employees against bringing work phones overseas. - The loss comes amid other recent security lapses and procedural concerns in Japan's nuclear sector, including past incidents of misplaced documents and an NRA pause in a reactor restart review after reported fabrication of inspection data. Summary: The incident adds to a string of reported security lapses involving officials linked to Japan's nuclear sector and raises questions about internal controls and data handling. The NRA has notified the Personal Information Protection Commission and issued an internal warning to staff about taking work phones abroad. Whether further investigative or procedural steps will follow is undetermined at this time.