Surge in Targeted Cyber-Attacks in Japan in 2015: Report

Surge in Targeted Cyber-Attacks in Japan in 2015: Report
Advertisement
Japan police on Thursday said the number of targeted cyber-attacks surged nearly seven-fold in the first half of this year from the like period of last year.

The National Police Agency said it recorded 1,472 attacks from January to June, NHK news agency reported.

The agency monitors such attacks in coordination with more than 6,900 defence and nuclear-related firms and others, which are the main targets.

In targeted attacks, emails carrying computer viruses are sent to companies and government offices in a bid to steal classified information. Typically, the virus is hidden in an attached file sent with the e-mail.

The agency said cases in which a Microsoft Word document was used to automatically download an illicit programme accounted for 64 percent of all incidents involving attached files. That's up from two percent last year.

The agency said new tactics include disguising emails as notices from the National Tax Agency and making them look like they came from in-company copiers.

The agency said 16 organisations, including the Japan Pension Service and Waseda University, reported information leakage as a result of cyber-attacks.

A huge amount of private information was leaked from the Japan Pension Service earlier this year, stirring widespread criticism of its lax online security.

The National Police Agency has called for the use of the latest anti-virus software and the encryption of important information, among other measures.

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

iOS 9 Search Showing Too Many Results? Here's a Simple Fix
Tokyo Game Show Opens With Record Exhibitors
Facebook Gadgets360 Twitter Share Tweet Snapchat LinkedIn Reddit Comment google-newsGoogle News

Advertisement

Follow Us
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2024. All rights reserved.
Trending Products »
Latest Tech News »