The number of personal information leaks from companies listed on Japanese stock exchanges, as well as their subsidiaries, rose by 30% in 2021 from the previous year to a record 137 cases, according to a corporate research agency.
Tokyo Shoko Research said in a report that over 50% or 68 of the data breaches were caused by malware or unauthorized access. It said the number of cyberattacks rose for the third straight year.
Since the agency first began collecting such data in 2012, leaks of personal information pertaining to approximately 120 million people, roughly the equivalent of Japan's population, have been confirmed.