Former National Security Secretariat chief Shigeru Kitamura (北村 滋) warned of the misuse of Chinese AI and intensifying cyberattacks. Japanese companies, including GMO Internet Group, have been targeted, and the use of a tool known as ARTEX has been reported.
Shigeru Kitamura (北村 滋), a national security expert and former Secretary-General of the National Security Secretariat (NSS), discussed the realities of cyber operations and cognitive warfare in an interview with Shukan Bunshun. The methods used in cyberattacks targeting Japanese companies are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and it has emerged that a Chinese-linked tool called ARTEX was used in October 2026.
Within Japan, communications equipment, including smartphones, has been identified as potentially serving as a frontline in cyber warfare, and incidents involving the leakage of personal information at companies including GMO Internet Group are increasing. It has also been reported that attacks on websites increased substantially compared with the average of the previous three months amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Against a backdrop of the large number of smartphone users and constant connectivity, economic security challenges are emerging, including de-risking, supply-chain diversification and risk management in M&A. Companies, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, are being called on to build their own intelligence capabilities and establish appropriate contracts and personnel arrangements.