EXPLORINEER
en

JP — ITmedia

Japan to draft emergency cyber defense package next week; PM Takaichi orders it at first ministerial cybersecurity meeting

Security2 min read

Japan's government plans to draw up an emergency cyber defense package by next week. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi gave the order at the first meeting of a cabinet-level cybersecurity council, after a string of attacks on companies.

What happened

On October 26, the government held the first meeting of its cabinet ministers' council on cybersecurity at the Prime Minister's Office. Prime Minister Takaichi said that a series of cyber attacks on Japanese companies had caused many large data leaks. She said the government aims to finish an emergency response package by next week. She told each minister to move quickly on needed steps, including money for them.

Key numbers and facts

  • In September 2025, Asahi Group Holdings was hit by a ransomware attack. In October 2025, ASKUL was hit too.
  • In September 2026, about 6.6 million account records leaked from the car-sharing service Times Car.
  • Active cyber defense began on the 1st of this month. Police and the Self-Defense Forces can now shut down the servers that launch attacks.

Background

Ransomware is a type of attack where hackers lock a company's data and demand payment. Since 2025, many Japanese companies have reported attacks and data leaks. The new 'active cyber defense' system lets the state act against attacks before they cause harm. Takaichi said the government will use every option, including shutting down attack servers, and will work with allied countries to find who is behind the attacks.

Why it matters

Data leaks can hurt customers, for example through scams that use stolen information. Small and medium-sized businesses often have fewer security tools and staff. The plan aims to help them get expert help quickly, from the first alert to full recovery. It also shows how much the government now treats cyber attacks as a national security problem.

What to watch

  • The emergency response package, expected by next week, and how much money it includes.
  • How the government tests company and government systems for weak spots, using high-performance AI.
  • Whether the new help desks and the 'Cyber Security Okkake-tai' support teams reach small businesses.
  • How the active cyber defense system is used in practice.

Same story, different eyes

Ad

Add 150 words. Learn 10 a day.

Dicter word books send only the words you learn to your review notes.

More in this topic

SecurityITmedia

GMO to Provide New PCs to Customers Hit by Ransomware; Criminal Group Reportedly Publishes One Customer's Data

GMO Internet Group announced it will provide replacement PCs with equivalent performance to customers whose PCs were hit by ransomware through unauthorized access to "お名前.com デスクトップクラウド." The company said that as of 11:59 a.m. on October 27, no ransomware or other malware had been confirmed on devices already collected and analyzed, while the criminal group published what it claimed was one customer's personal information, which GMO said may contain inaccurate content and urged people not to access or spread it.

SecurityThe Register

Japanese virtual desktop cloud hacked so hard it asks to be banned

GMO Internet warned customers that its Onamae.com Desktop Cloud, a virtual desktop service it recommended for foreign exchange trading, was compromised by an attacker and that it had been slow to improve the service's security. The company says an attacker demanded $50 million, which GMO has refused to pay, and that 26,739 VDI servers may have been affected. GMO is offering customers a ¥5,000 condolence payment and has advised users to change trading passwords and disconnect active sessions.

SecurityITmedia

JR Smart EX and Express Reservation member email addresses possibly leaked, about 170,000 records, after unauthorized access to Yumilink

JR Tokai, JR West, and JR Kyushu announced on October 26 that some member email addresses, member IDs, names in katakana, and membership types for their Express Reservation and Smart EX services may have leaked. The number of affected records is still being confirmed, but they have reportedly received a preliminary figure of about 170,000. The leak stems from unauthorized access to Yumilink, the provider of the mail delivery service, and JR Tokai has not confirmed any leak from its own systems for either service.

SecurityITmedia

NEC's Aterm Routers Not Affected by PHP Vulnerabilities; ".php" in Settings Page URL Is Unrelated

NEC's Aterm Wi-Fi and mobile router information site announced on October 26 that it confirmed Aterm products and services are not affected by the PHP vulnerabilities (CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619) published on the 22nd. Some Aterm models display "/index.php" in the URL of the "Quick Setup Web" settings page, but this only contains the string ".php" and the product does not use PHP, so the vulnerabilities have no impact. Any new information will be posted on the same page.