The number of cybercrimes uncovered by police in Japan hit a record high in 2022, rising 160 to 12,369 cases, with notable growth in reports of ransomware attacks, the National Police Agency said Thursday.
The daily average of suspicious internet access cases, including cyberattacks, has also hit a record high of 7,707.9 per internet protocol address, the agency said.
With the increase in people working remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of ransomware attacks aimed at businesses — in which hackers demand payment in exchange for restoring access to company data — soared 57.5% from the previous year to 230 cases across 37 of Japan's 47 prefectures, according to the agency's data.