Japan’s government agencies are accelerating efforts to strengthen national cybersecurity defenses after more than 20 major corporations disclosed significant data breaches in recent weeks. The Financial Times reported on Friday that these incidents have compromised tens of millions of customer data points, prompting an immediate response from Tokyo.
The ruling party convened an emergency session of the National Cybersecurity Strategy Headquarters (NCSH) on Friday. Masaaki Taira, the head of the NCSH, characterized the situation as a state of emergency in cyberspace, according to the report. This designation underscores the severity of the coordinated attacks and the urgency of the government’s reaction.
Financial Services Agency Issues New ID Rules
In a direct response to the vulnerabilities exposed by the recent hacks, Japan’s Financial Services Agency issued new guidance to lenders on Friday. The agency instructed financial institutions to accept only forms of identification that contain embedded ID chips. This measure targets a specific weakness exploited in one of the recent leaks, which involved the theft of massive stores of digital photographs of driver’s licenses. Physical copies of IDs are now considered insufficient for high-security verification under the new interim guidelines.
The National Cybersecurity Office is also distributing a comprehensive list of security instructions to local public bodies and private companies. These directives, reported by the Associated Press, emphasize the need for updated security protections, the use of strong passwords, and heightened vigilance against social engineering attacks. The instructions specifically warn organizations to guard against attackers who disguise themselves as cybersecurity helpers to gain access to sensitive systems.
Rising Incident Rates and AI Threats
The surge in attacks reflects a broader trend in Japan’s digital landscape. More than 500 cybersecurity incidents have been reported this year, a figure that is likely to exceed the 473 cases recorded in 2025 and the 503 incidents from 2024. This data, cited from the Yomiuri newspaper and cybersecurity firm Trend Micro, indicates a steady and concerning increase in cyber threats targeting Japanese entities.
Experts attribute part of this vulnerability to the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence by hackers. NBC News reported that AI allows attackers to execute sophisticated attacks easily and inexpensively. Nobuo Miwa, president of cybersecurity firm S&J Corp., stated that attackers have achieved a breakthrough that renders many old security assumptions obsolete. The ability to automate and scale attacks has fundamentally changed the threat landscape.
Toshiharu Furukawa, Japan’s minister for digital transformation, told reporters earlier this week that individuals must take personal responsibility for protecting their information. He emphasized that everyone must become vigilant about their own data security, reflecting a shift toward shared responsibility between the state and citizens.
Industry leaders are already responding to the heightened threat environment. SoftBank Group announced in June the launch of an AI-powered cybersecurity solution designed to protect critical infrastructure. Chairman and CEO Masayoshi Son stated that attempted cyberattacks powered by advanced AI will become widespread, and the company is determined to defend against them using state-of-the-art artificial intelligence. This move highlights the growing reliance on AI-driven defenses to counter AI-driven offenses in Japan’s cybersecurity sector.
Source: PYMNTS
