Cyberattacks hit a third of Japan firms or their service providers this year: Reuters poll

Résumé détaillé

TOKYO, Nov 12 : One-third of Japanese firms have been hit by cyberattacks targeting either their own systems or those of external service providers this year, a Reuters survey showed on Thursday, prompting companies to ramp up spending on cybersecurity.

The findings come after a series of major customer data breaches over recent months prompted the government last week to draw up an emergency package of countermeasures.

About 10 per cent of respondents said cyberattacks on their systems or those of their service providers had disrupted operations, while 22 per cent reported cyberattacks that caused no damage. Just over half said they had not been targeted, with the remainder unsure.

On cybersecurity spending, 3 per cent foresee a sharp increase, 59 per cent expect a moderate increase and 22 per cent anticipate little change.

"It is an endless battle. But we want to invest as much as possible to step up our security," a manager at a textile company wrote in the survey.

Among the surveyed companies, 63 per cent strengthened employee training and anti-phishing steps, 32 per cent stepped up ransomware countermeasures and data backups, and 22 per cent introduced stricter information management.

Respondents could select multiple measures, so the figures do not add up to 100 per cent.

"It is difficult to achieve perfect protection against AI-driven attacks. We consider it important to implement measures aimed at minimizing the damage should such an attack occur," an official at a chemical company said.

Experts say AI is helping automate tasks ranging ​from scanning for software vulnerabilities to crafting phishing campaigns, making cybercrime faster, cheaper and harder to detect.

Début de l'article, extrait de CNA. Pour lire la suite, ouvrez l'article chez le média.