On October 9, recent reports revealed that Japanese companies have become frequent targets of cyberattacks, exacerbated by the widespread use of AI tools, which has lowered the barrier to launching large-scale hacking operations. According to data from cybersecurity firm Trend Micro, there was a notable increase in data breach reports from Japanese organizations in September, with a record-breaking peak of 13 incidents reported in a single day, setting a new annual high. Among the affected entities were prominent corporations like SoftBank and financial institutions such as Daiwa Securities.

Mihoko Matsubara, Chief Cybersecurity Strategist at NTT, highlighted that while recent attacks have mainly focused on stealing personal information, some attackers might be probing the resilience of Japan's proactive cyber defense system. This suggests that Japan could be bracing for more damaging cyberattacks in the near future. In response, Japanese Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama has urged financial institutions to intensify their cybersecurity audits. Additionally, the Financial Services Agency of Japan has called for comprehensive risk assessments and the adoption of enhanced preventive measures, particularly during user identity verification processes.