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GMO asks the government for “active cyber defence” after fraudulent access to an automated trading server

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AT A GLANCE
  • GMO Internet Group has asked the government for “active cyber defence”.
  • The background is unauthorised access to an automated trading server for investors.
  • Only part of the NHK article could be read, so the method and the extent of the damage are not confirmed.
Photo of the GMO entrance in the Shibuya Fukuras office building in Shibuya, Tokyo (archive photo)
Syced · CC0
In this article

The essentials

According to NHK, the major IT group GMO Internet Group urgently asked the government for “active cyber defence”. The request follows fraudulent access to an automated trading server provided to investors. The article was published on 24 October at 1:49 pm (Japan time) and updated at 3:18 pm.

Earlier information

Related headlines show that, on the 23rd, fraudulent access to a “GMO FX” trading server was reported, with reports of unauthorised transactions on accounts. On 6 October, it had also been reported that fraudulent access to a GMO group company may have exposed up to more than 940,000 items of personal data. In the articles we read, however, we cannot say whether it is the same affair.

What is “active cyber defence”?

The expression “active cyber defence” describes an approach that does not merely react after an attack, but seeks to spot early signs of an attack and stop it before damage spreads. GMO is said to have asked for it to prevent damage from getting worse. This is the general meaning; for the details of the scheme, see the government’s explanations.

To keep in mind

We could only read the NHK article in part. The method of intrusion, the perpetrator and the scale of the damage have not been verified. If you use GMO’s services, check the company’s announcements and the state of your account.

LANGUAGE NOTES

Learn the grammar

Explained in English

French grammar

Learn sentence patterns and usage from the article’s own sentences.

01The present indicative
Structure

est / sont + attribute (noun, adjective, prepositional phrase)

In the article
Les dates d’annonce, des faits et de vérification sont distinctes.
Key points

Être in the present is est for a singular subject and sont for a plural one. It describes nature, state or place (“is”, “is located”). If what follows (the attribute) is a noun, adjective or prepositional phrase, it is not a passive. If a past participle follows, it is a passive (est annoncé). Headlines and summaries often use the present to describe the current situation.

02The passé composé
Structure

present of avoir + past participle

In the article
Le 24 octobre, le grand groupe informatique GMO Internet Group a demandé au gouvernement une « cyberdéfense active », après un accès frauduleux à un serveur de trading automatique destiné aux investisseurs.
Key points

The passé composé is the most common past tense, used for “did” and “has done” — actions completed in the past. It is formed with the auxiliary avoir (a / ont…) in the present + a past participle. Past participles of -er verbs end in -é (annoncer → annoncé); learn the irregular ones (faire → fait, prendre → pris, voir → vu). In the negative, ne … pas wraps the auxiliary (n’a pas annoncé). In the news it reports facts that have already happened, such as “announced” or “voted”.

03The imparfait
Structure

stem (nous form of the present) + -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient

In the article
Le 6 octobre, il avait aussi été rapporté qu’un accès frauduleux à une société du groupe GMO pouvait avoir exposé jusqu’à plus de 940 000 données personnelles.
Key points

The imparfait describes states, background, habits and actions in progress in the past (il était, elle avait, ils pensaient). Take the nous form of the present, drop -ons, and add -ais / -ais / -ait / -ions / -iez / -aient. If the passé composé gives “the event itself”, the imparfait paints “the situation at the time”.

04The present subjunctive
Structure

il faut que / pour que / bien que + subject + subjunctive

In the article
L’expression « cyberdéfense active » désigne une démarche qui ne se contente pas de réagir après une attaque, mais cherche à repérer tôt les signes d’une attaque pour l’empêcher avant que les dégâts ne s’étendent.
Key points

The subjunctive expresses wish, need, purpose, doubt and feeling rather than “fact”. It is used inside a clause with que. Triggers: il faut que (must), pour que / afin que (so that), bien que / quoique (although), avant que (before), souhaiter que, vouloir que and others. Formation: stem of the ils present minus -ent + -e, -es, -e, -ions, -iez, -ent. Irregular: être → soit, avoir → ait, aller → aille, faire → fasse, pouvoir → puisse, savoir → sache.

05The passive in the passé composé
Structure

a / ont été + past participle

In the article
L’article a été diffusé le 24 octobre à 13 h 49 (heure du Japon) et mis à jour à 15 h 18.
Key points

The past passive means “was done”. Its form is present of avoir + été (past participle of être) + past participle. Été does not change, but the last participle agrees with the subject in gender and number (la loi a été votée / les textes ont été votés). It is frequent in news reporting results such as votes, decisions and announcements.

06Pronominal verbs
Structure

se / s’ + verb

In the article
Il s’agit du sens général ; pour le détail du dispositif, consultez les explications du gouvernement.
Key points

A pronominal verb is used with a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous) before the verb. It can mean “do to oneself”, “be done” or “do to each other”. In the news, se traduire (to result in), se tenir (to take place), s’agir de (to be a matter of) and se diffuser (to spread) are frequent. The pronoun changes with the subject (il se tient / ils se tiennent / je me souviens).

07Negation and its scope
Structure

ne / n’ … pas · ne … plus

In the article
Dans les articles que nous avons lus, on ne peut toutefois pas dire s’il s’agit de la même affaire.
Key points

Normally ne and pas wrap the verb. Before a vowel, ne becomes n’. Check which part of the sentence the negation covers. Ne … plus means “no longer”.

08Citing a source with selon
Structure

selon + noun / organisation

In the article
Selon NHK, le grand groupe informatique GMO Internet Group a demandé d’urgence au gouvernement une « cyberdéfense active ».
Key points

Selon means “according to”. Put a person or organisation after it as the source. It separates facts the writer checked directly from what another body or report said. Citing a source does not turn a forecast into an accomplished fact.

09Pouvoir: ability and possibility
Structure

peut / peuvent / pourrait + infinitive

In the article
Dans les articles que nous avons lus, on ne peut toutefois pas dire s’il s’agit de la même affaire.
Key points

Put a base-form verb after pouvoir. Peut means “can” or “may”; the conditional pourrait gives a more reserved possibility, “might”. It does not necessarily mean implementation is settled.

10Purpose with pour
Structure

pour + infinitive

In the article
On dit que GMO l’a demandée pour éviter l’aggravation des dommages.
Key points

This is the purpose, “in order to…”. Put the base form of a verb after pour. The purpose stated here is separate from whether the effect was actually achieved.

11The construction il s’agit de
Structure

il s’agit de + noun / infinitive

In the article
Il s’agit du sens général ; pour le détail du dispositif, consultez les explications du gouvernement.
Key points

It explains what something is about: “it is a matter of…”. The il is not a particular man but a formal subject of this construction. The negative il ne s’agit pas de means “this is not about…”.

Explained in English

Japanese grammar

Understand the structure and usage from the text.

01Citing a source: によると
Structure

noun + によると

In the article
NHKによると、IT大手のGMOインターネットグループは、政府に対して、「能動的サイバー防御」を、緊急に要請しました。
Key points

As in “LCPによると”, it shows where the information comes from. What that source reported follows. It is used differently from “私にとって”, which gives one’s own opinion.

02Expressing a possibility
Structure

〜可能性がある / 〜かもしれない

In the article
また、10月6日には、GMOグループの会社への不正アクセスで、個人情報が最大94万件あまり、流出した可能性があると伝えられました。
Key points

These forms say something may happen. Even when “possibility” is written, it does not mean it will certainly happen. Check whose forecast it is, plus the time and conditions.

03Indicating the subject: について
Structure

noun + について

In the article
記事の関連する見出しから、23日には、「GMO FX」の取引サーバーへの不正アクセスが報じられ、口座での不正な操作について、相談もあったことが分かります。
Key points

As in “予算について”, it shows the topic to be talked about or explained. In the form “〜についての報道”, の is added so that the group qualifies the following noun.

04The polite past ました
Structure

verb stem (連用形) + ました

In the article
IT大手のGMOインターネットグループは、24日、投資家向けの自動取引のサーバーが不正アクセスを受けたとして、政府に「能動的サイバー防御」を求めました。
Key points

In “発表しました”, ました makes a verb polite past. The negative is “ませんでした”. Read the actual date together with the date and time in the text.

05Quoting with と: content and report
Structure

plain-form sentence + と + verbe de parole (報じる, 説明する…)

In the article
GMOは、被害の拡大を、未然に防ぐことを目的として、要請したとされています。
Key points

と takes the content that is reported or explained. In “改定する方針だと報じました”, “改定する方針だ” is what the report said. Separating the content from who said it and how makes long sentences easier to read.

06Treating a clause like a noun with こと
Structure

plain-form sentence + こと + particle

In the article
投資家向けに提供している、自動取引のサーバーが、不正アクセスを受けたことを受けた動きです。
Key points

“〜すること” treats an action or content like a noun. The particle after it (が・を・は…) shows its role in the sentence. “ことができる” is a fixed combination meaning “can”.

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