A series of cyberattacks in Japan and South Korea has made it easier for criminals without advanced technical skills to launch attacks as AI becomes more widespread, causing data breaches and website outages at financial institutions and major companies.
A series of cyberattacks in Japan and South Korea has affected a broad range of industries in Japan, including financial institutions, retailers, restaurants and car-sharing operators. The attacks have caused multiple customer websites, mainly those hosted by IDC Frontier, to become inaccessible. The government held a meeting of the relevant ministries and agencies to discuss strengthening countermeasures, and the Financial Services Agency warned financial institutions to strengthen their measures.
In South Korea, 9 banks and a megachurch were hit by cyberattacks that may have used AI tools. A cloud security company said the attacks may have been difficult to carry out without AI assistance. Following an incident involving a South Korean bank that was attacked, stronger security management and more thorough testing are required.
Experts say that advances in AI are making the use of general-purpose AI models more widespread, facilitating the automation of attacks and the discovery of vulnerabilities. The number of cyber incidents in Japan from January through September this year exceeded last year's total, and data breaches at JR East and major websites were announced in September. The view was expressed that fundamental measures to strengthen defensive capabilities are needed.
People familiar with the matter said the number of attacks may remain elevated, and stressed that companies need to strengthen their Hr measures by at least 2 stages. More sophisticated defence through the use of AI technology and stricter testing are required.