Japan’s largest port by volume, the Port of Nagoya, came under a ransomware attack last week, halting operations for almost two days and affecting exports and imports for many companies, including world-renown carmaker Toyota.
Although this was the first time a cyberattack on a major Japanese port caused significant delays to operations, it is far from being the only cyberattack case. Across the country, cyberattacks are on the rise overall, with 230 ransomware attacks having been reported in 2022, according to the National Police Agency.
Ransomware is a form of malware that encrypts data on a device or system and holds it hostage in exchange for payment, although money is not always the objective, according to Paul S. Ziegler, the founder and CEO of Reflare, a cybersecurity consulting company.