Computers of Japan's diplomatic missions hit by cyber attack

Computers at several of Japan's overseas diplomatic missions have been hit by cyber attacks, a report said Wednesday, just a day after it was revealed the country's parliament had been targeted.

Computers at embassies and consulates in nine countries were infected with viruses in the summer, the Yomiuri Shimbun said, citing unnamed sources.

An official for the foreign ministry said no classified information had been stolen and there appeared to be nothing out of the ordinary about the viruses.

"Virus infections are not a recent phenomenon, but have been experienced for a long time," he said.

He said the infections had been found in the ministry's Internet-capable open systems, while diplomatic secrets are handled in a closed system.

The Yomiuri said the countries where infection was found included France, the Netherlands, Myanmar, the United States, Canada, China and South Korea.