Ransomware attacks for financial gain are surging worldwide, and more Japanese companies are facing additional demands for money. According to the survey, 37% of Japanese victims paid, 37% received additional demands, and only 59% recovered their data after a single payment in some cases. Citing cases including GMO Internet, experts warn that payment is not a solution.
According to a survey by US information security company Proofpoint of 953 security professionals in 12 countries, the share of companies hit by ransomware that actually paid a ransom was highest in the United States at 93%, followed by the UAE at 81% and India at 64%; Japan was at 37%. An examination of data recovery after payment found that 59% of companies restored their data or access rights after a single payment, while 37% were asked for additional payment. Contact was lost with 4% of companies after the attack.
According to the National Police Agency, there were 123 ransomware incidents in the first half of this year, a record high for a half-year period. Yukimi Masuda (増田 幸美), an expert, said that advances in AI have made the language barrier posed by Japanese easier for attackers to overcome, contributing to the surge. She analysed the current situation as having shifted from simple encryption to ransom demands accompanied by data theft.