Japan declares a 'state of emergency in cyberspace' after hacks hit more than 20 major firms
Lawson, JR East and Times Car are among the victims. Banks have been told to stop accepting driver's licences alone as proof of identity, and officials warn AI is lowering the cost of attacks.
At a glance
- More than 20 major Japanese companies have disclosed cyberattacks in recent weeks, exposing tens of millions of customer records.
- JR East said 1.67 million customer email addresses were compromised; Lawson, Times Car and Nikkei are also among those hit.
- Japan's Financial Services Agency asked banks to stop accepting driver's licences as sole ID and use chip-based documents instead.
- Officials say AI makes phishing in fluent Japanese easier, though no direct link to the wave of attacks has been proven.
Japan has declared what officials call a state of emergency in cyberspace after a wave of attacks swept through some of the country's best-known companies, exposing data belonging to tens of millions of customers.
A who's who of victims
More than 20 major firms have disclosed breaches in recent weeks, according to the Financial Times. The list reads like a directory of everyday Japan: the Lawson convenience store chain, car-rental operator Times Car, business daily Nikkei, the Tokyo subway and the rail giant JR East, which said 1.67 million customer email addresses were exposed in a ransomware attack on SoftBank subsidiary IDC Frontier. A barbecue restaurant chain reportedly lost around ten million customer records. Hospitals and government facilities have also been hit.
At an emergency meeting on Friday, Masaaki Taira, who heads the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's cybersecurity headquarters, said Japan was in a cyber emergency. Digital Transformation Minister Toshiharu Furukawa described the situation as extremely critical and urged citizens to protect their own information.
Banks told to tighten ID checks
After a leak at Times Car exposed digital ID photos, the Financial Services Agency told banks to stop accepting a driver's licence as the only proof of identity when opening accounts. Instead, they should rely on documents with embedded chips, such as passports or My Number cards.
Is AI to blame?
Experts say artificial intelligence has lowered the barrier for attackers. Japanese was once a natural shield against foreign phishing campaigns; AI translation now produces convincing messages in fluent Japanese, and automated tools let a small team probe far more systems. However, officials and experts quoted by The Japan Times say there is no firm evidence yet that AI guided these particular attacks.
Police said last week that the Russian ransomware group Qilin was behind attacks on 53 Japanese companies over the past year. South Korea is also investigating attacks on banks that may have involved AI tools. Japan's new active cyber defence law, which came into force on October 1, gives authorities wider powers to respond.
Questions people are asking
Why is Japan being targeted?
Experts cite slow digitalisation, legacy systems, weak password practices and the fact that AI translation removes the language barrier that once made Japanese targets harder for foreign hackers.
What should people in Japan do?
Officials urge people to protect their own data: watch for phishing emails and messages, change reused passwords, and enable two-step verification on banking and shopping accounts.
How we verified this story
GlobeHourly wrote this report in its own words after checking the facts against 4 independent sources: official statements, wire agencies and established news outlets. Read our standards.
