Government institutions, including the Digital Agency, and major companies have suffered a series of unauthorized access incidents, with one case involving the leakage of images of 1.6 million driver's licenses. Automated attacks using AI are increasing in speed, raising concerns about their future impact.
Government institutions, led by the Digital Agency, and major companies have suffered a succession of unauthorized access incidents over approximately one month since Silver Week. No specific common factor has yet been identified, it is reported, and because many affected companies refrain from making public disclosures, it remains difficult to see the full picture of the situation.
The leaked data included not only names and dates of birth but also images of driver's licenses, prompting concerns about secondary damage such as taking out loans or opening bank accounts using forged documents. An IT journalist described the phenomenon as occurring at an “unprecedented pace,” citing weaknesses in supply chains and a pattern in which attacks spread from one organisation to another as contributing factors.
Experts point to advances in AI technology as a factor behind the incidents, explaining that cases are increasing in which AI-powered automated programs automatically search for security vulnerabilities, then carry out intrusions and gather information. Although major companies have implemented certain countermeasures, the defence of the entire supply chain, including business partners, subsidiaries and outsourced service providers, is being identified as a challenge.