Japan and cybersecurity: What’s behind recent attacks and what’s being done?

According to The Japan Times, the targets of recent cyberattacks have ranged from restaurants and retailers to media groups and research institutions, with few sectors left unscathed.[1] The paper adds that experts say those cases "may be just the tip of the iceberg."[1]The Associated Press reports that such attacks have already topped more than 500 cases this year, according to a study by the Yomiuri newspaper and Trend Micro[2]. The AP says that the cases numbered 473 last year and 503 in 2024[2]. The AP also reports that a cyberattack on car-sharing service Times Car leaked information from some 6.6 million member accounts.[2]The Japan Times reports that Yakiniku King's parent company, Monogatari, said unauthorized third-party access exposed data for about 10 million user accounts.[3]Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told reporters, as quoted by The Japan Times, that "it is not clear whether these incidents are related."[3]Briefs.co quotes Yoji Watanabe, chief technology officer at Cyber Security Cloud, as saying the attacks are becoming chores "even amateurs can carry out."[4]Seoul Economic Daily reports that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's AI policy chief, Masaaki Taira, said recent cyberattacks have taken on the character of so-called saturation attacks[5].According to the AP, digital transformation minister Toshiharu Furukawa said: "Everyone must become vigilant about protecting your own information yourself."[2]