Commentary / World | API Geoeconomic Briefing Jul 3, 2020
Internet holds the key to the post-coronavirus era
by Jun Murai
Ability to put innovation into practice determines recovery of virus-hit economy
Business / Tech | ANALYSIS Jan 25, 2018
Chinese tech firms narrowing pay gap with Silicon Valley as state pours money into IT, surveillance
by Stella Qiu and Elias Glenn
China's war for technology talent is intensifying. Tens of thousands of people are being hired to shore up cybersecurity, censor online content, and try to make China No. 1 in the application of artificial intelligence as capital pours into both startups and more mature businesses ...
National Aug 29, 2017
Communications ministry to build decoy networks in bid to lure cyberattackers
The communications ministry plans to employ decoy networks to lure cyberattacks in order to garner information and observe patterns that will help prevent future damage from malicious viruses and other forms of attack, sources said Tuesday. The test, which is aimed to quickly respond to ...
National / Crime & Legal Feb 28, 2017
12.6 million cases of personal information leaked in Japan in 2016, survey shows
Some 12.6 million cases involving the leak of personal information were confirmed or suspected in the nation last year due to cyberattacks against companies and other entities, a Kyodo News survey showed Monday, affecting roughly 1 in 10 people. The figure marked a sixfold increase ...
National Feb 26, 2017
'White hat' hackers see rising demand for protection in corporate Japan
"White hat" hackers who spot security vulnerabilities may be one of the most sought-after professions today as Japan's tech firms struggle to cope with the rising threat of cyberattacks. White hats are tasked with guarding computer networks against "black hats," the malicious hackers who infiltrate ...
Business / Tech Jan 26, 2017
'Ethical hackers' prep for final round of annual cybersecurity contest
With cyberattacks proliferating worldwide, a Japanese contest for "white hat" hackers supported by organizations including the communications ministry and National Police Agency is gearing up for the final round this weekend. The Security Contest, dubbed Seccon, provides an opportunity for those aspiring to become white ...
Commentary | COUNTERPOINT May 21, 2016
Japan's cybersecurity upgrade — too little, too late?
by Jeff Kingston
The Internet facilitates rapid data-sharing and increased communication between individuals, firms and government entities. This generates significant risks but, for most of the 2000s, Japan did not take commensurate countermeasures. The complacent attitude toward information technology security has persisted in Japan too long due ...
National / Crime & Legal Jun 25, 2015
'Sextortion' warning after victim targeted by crime ring
by Kanako Takahara
Users of social networking sites such as Facebook and Line are accustomed to receiving a "friend" request or a message from an unfamiliar contact. Most people ignore them, but the few who respond may need to think twice before pushing the send button. Cases of ...
National / Politics May 31, 2015
U.S. to take Japan under cyberdefense umbrella as hacker threats grow
The United States will extend its cyberdefense umbrella over Japan, helping its ally cope with the growing threat of online attacks against military bases and infrastructure such as power grids, the two nations said in a joint statement Saturday. "We note a growing level of ...
National Nov 6, 2014
The Internet server for the Web edition of the Nikkei daily and its Nikkei Asian Review recently came under cyberattack and was altered to direct viewers to other sites, which may have been infected with computer viruses, according to the daily and other reports. Along ...
Business / Corporate Jul 9, 2014
Yahoo cyberattacks reveal gaping holes in Japan Inc.'s hacking shield
by Yuriy Humber
Shortly after the alert sounded at 9:10 p.m., Yahoo Japan Corp.'s risk team knew it had a problem. More than 20 million usernames and passwords belonging to its customers were being dumped into a file, primed to be stolen. "What the hell are you doing?" ...
National Apr 6, 2014
The number of illicit websites customized for portable devices has surged roughly 20 times over the two years to March, a survey said Sunday. The total was 57,000 as of March 31, up from 2,900 two years ago and 19,000 the year before because security ...