Japan Faces Record Ransomware Surge in First Half of 2026
Japan experienced a sharp rise in ransomware attacks during the first half of 2026, with 123 confirmed cases the highest six-month total since records began in 2020, according to National Police Agency (NPA) data. The attacks, which involve encrypting data and demanding ransom payments for decryption, have grown more sophisticated, leading to escalating damage.
Of the reported incidents, 31 targeted major companies. Over half of the cases required more than a month for recovery, while nine resulted in full business suspensions. Financial losses exceeded ¥10 million ($65,000) in 60% of the attacks.
The NPA also detected approximately 13,700 daily instances of suspicious access up 50% year-over-year likely tied to reconnaissance efforts by ransomware and other cybercriminals assessing system vulnerabilities.
Beyond ransomware, online fraud caused ¥175.5 billion ($1.13 billion) in losses, a 45% increase driven by scams tricking victims into transferring money via online banking. Phishing cases, though down from the previous year, remained high at around 730,000 incidents, with 45% of phishing servers traced to China, followed by Japan (14%) and Brazil (10%).
The Internet Hotline Center, in collaboration with the NPA, received 68,842 reports of illegally obtained information, including 5,259 linked to online casinos a category added to its monitoring scope in September 2025. The center requested content removal or access restrictions for 21 casino-related cases and 879 involving social media posts and ads. Additionally, reports of "dark part-time job" solicitations recruiting individuals for criminal activities totaled 12,516.
Source: https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/09/10/japan/crime-legal/ransomware-attack-record/
Internet Initiative Japan (IIJ) cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/internet-initiative-japan
"id": "INT1789029188",
"linkid": "internet-initiative-japan",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "1/2026",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"{'affected_entities': [{'location': 'Japan', 'type': 'Major companies'}],
'attack_vector': 'Unknown',
'data_breach': {'data_encryption': 'Yes'},
'date_detected': '2026-06-30',
'description': 'Japan experienced a sharp rise in ransomware attacks during '
'the first half of 2026, with 123 confirmed cases—the highest '
'six-month total since records began in 2020. The attacks '
'involved encrypting data and demanding ransom payments for '
'decryption, leading to escalating damage. Over half of the '
'cases required more than a month for recovery, while nine '
'resulted in full business suspensions. Financial losses '
'exceeded ¥10 million ($65,000) in 60% of the attacks. The NPA '
'also detected approximately 13,700 daily instances of '
'suspicious access, likely tied to reconnaissance efforts by '
'ransomware and other cybercriminals.',
'impact': {'downtime': '>1 month in over half of cases, full business '
'suspension in 9 cases',
'financial_loss': '¥10 million ($65,000) in 60% of attacks',
'operational_impact': 'Full business suspensions in 9 cases'},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing',
'motivation': 'Financial gain',
'post_incident_analysis': {'root_causes': 'Sophisticated ransomware attacks, '
'increased reconnaissance efforts'},
'ransomware': {'data_encryption': 'Yes'},
'references': [{'source': 'National Police Agency (NPA)'}],
'response': {'law_enforcement_notified': 'National Police Agency (NPA)'},
'title': 'Japan Faces Record Ransomware Surge in First Half of 2026',
'type': 'Ransomware'}