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Japan's reported unauthorized access tops 600 cases by September, a record pace
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Companies and local governments in Japan had publicly reported more than 600 cases of unauthorized access and similar damage as of the end of September, exceeding last year's full-year total of 593 and running at a record pace, according to interviews with the security firm Trend Micro. A Trend Micro official said the connection to the most recent incidents is unknown but that misuse of artificial intelligence may be making attacks easier, and said countermeasures are urgent. Reports also detailed leaks at the car-sharing service Times Car, MrMax Holdings, the Yakiniku King operator and others, while the National Police Agency logged record levels of suspicious access.
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Companies and local governments in Japan had publicly reported more than 600 cases of unauthorized access and similar damage as of the end of September, exceeding last year's full-year total of 593 and running at a record pace, according to interviews with the security company Trend Micro reported on October 6 by Nishi-Nippon Shimbun, Yahoo! News Japan, Livedoor News and Sankei Shimbun. Trend Micro compiles publicly disclosed information; under the same counting method, 2024 was the highest year with 644 cases, the reports said. Tokyo Shimbun also reported that domestic unauthorized access was at a record pace and that AI misuse was making cyberattacks easier. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
A Trend Micro official said the connection to the most recent incidents is unknown, but that misuse of artificial intelligence may be making cyberattacks easier, and that “countermeasures are urgently needed” for companies. According to Livedoor News, the official also warned that criminals could take advantage of the continuing leaks by sending fraudulent emails urging people to change their passwords. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Sankei Shimbun quoted Takahashi Masaya, a senior specialist at Trend Micro, saying the reason for the increase is still being analyzed and that no particular country or industry is being targeted. Highly vulnerable VPN equipment used to connect to internal systems from outside is being targeted, and business use of AI that is not cut off from outside can serve as an entry point, he said. Traces of AI carrying out attacks automatically have been found in some recent cases, he said, adding that about two years ago AI misuse was only a possibility but is now a reality, and voicing concern that people without skills could automate attacks. [ 5 ]
Among the leaks cited, the car-sharing service Times Car exposed information on about 6.6 million accounts, of which about 1.6 million included identity documents such as driver's license images, Livedoor News reported; Nishi-Nippon Shimbun also gave the approximately 6.6 million account figure. [ 2 , 4 ]
Asahi Shimbun reported further disclosures: MrMax Holdings, which runs the discount chain MrMax in Fukuoka City, said on October 6 that up to about 1.73 million people's personal information, including app membership data, had leaked; Monogatari, which operates the Yakiniku King restaurant chain in Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture, said on October 5 that about 10.78 million records had leaked after unauthorized access to its app; and an Asahi Kasei subsidiary said on October 6 that the names, affiliated facilities and job types of about 510,000 medical workers may have leaked. At an online research company under the GMO Internet Group, where up to about 950,000 pieces of personal information leaked, members' points were fraudulently exchanged, with 611 cases and 2,869,500 yen in damage confirmed as of October 5, the report said. Livedoor News said damage in October spread across industries, including Daiwa Securities and the operator of the Yakiniku King chain. [ 4 , 6 ]
Asahi Shimbun also reported that the National Police Agency detected 13,687 suspicious accesses per day in the first half of 2026 against a single IP address it monitors, a pace of about one every nine seconds and a 50% increase from 9,606 in the same period of 2025, the highest on record. Such accesses numbered in the 7,000s in 2021-22 and the 9,000s in 2023-24, the report said. Yusuke Nakajima, a security specialist at NTT Data Group, was quoted as saying that since the start of this year high-performance AI that can be misused has become available at low cost, and that he suspects AI may be used in cyberattacks. [ 6 ]
Sankei Shimbun also reported that inquiries to the Metropolitan Police for driver's license reissuance reached 500 in three days after the Times Car leak, citing a view that the effect is limited. [ 5 ]
Por qué importa
The tally indicates that personal data exposure is spreading across Japanese companies, municipalities and consumers, and one outlet reported that leaked data has already been used for fraud. With a security company and the police agency both describing more frequent suspicious access, the coverage points to pressure on organizations to review outside connections, AI use and customer-data handling, though the documents do not quantify the total harm.
Datos clave
- Companies and municipalities in Japan had publicly reported more than 600 cases of unauthorized access and similar damage as of the end of September, exceeding last year's 593 cases and running at a record pace, according to interviews with Trend Micro. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Trend Micro compiles publicly disclosed information; under the same counting method, 2024 was the highest year with 644 cases and last year had 593, the reports said. [ 2 , 4 ]
- A Trend Micro official said the link to the most recent incidents is unknown, but that misuse of AI may be making cyberattacks easier, and said countermeasures are urgent for companies. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- In the car-sharing service Times Car, information on about 6.6 million accounts leaked, of which about 1.6 million included identity documents such as driver's license images, according to Livedoor News. [ 2 , 4 ]
- Sankei Shimbun reported that Takahashi Masaya, a senior specialist at Trend Micro, said the reason for the increase is still being analyzed and no particular country or industry is being targeted, and that vulnerable VPN equipment and business use of AI that is not cut off from outside can serve as entry points for attacks. [ 5 ]
- Asahi Shimbun reported that the National Police Agency detected 13,687 suspicious accesses per day against a single monitored IP address in the first half of 2026, a 50% increase from 9,606 in the same period of 2025 and a record. [ 6 ]
- Asahi Shimbun reported leaks disclosed by MrMax Holdings (up to about 1.73 million people), Yakiniku King operator Monogatari (about 10.78 million records), an Asahi Kasei subsidiary (about 510,000 medical workers) and a GMO Internet Group research company, where 611 fraudulent point exchanges worth 2,869,500 yen were confirmed as of October 5. [ 6 ]
- Livedoor News said damage in October spread across industries, including Daiwa Securities and the operator of the Yakiniku King chain. [ 4 ]
Confirmado por varias fuentes
- Companies and local governments in Japan had publicly reported more than 600 cases of unauthorized access and similar damage as of the end of September, exceeding last year's total and running at a record pace. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]
- Trend Micro compiled the publicly disclosed figures, and last year's full-year total was 593 cases. [ 2 , 4 , 5 ]
Aún sin aclarar
- Whether the recent leaks, including the Times Car case, are connected to the record pace of reported incidents. Documents 2, 3 and 4 quote the Trend Micro official saying the link to the most recent incidents is unknown, so no connection has been established.
- The extent to which AI misuse is responsible for the increase in attacks. The documents present this as a possibility raised by a Trend Micro official and an NTT Data specialist, not as a confirmed cause.
- The full 2026 total and whether it will exceed the 2024 figure of 644 cases. The reports give only the end-of-September figure and say the pace exceeds last year.
- Police agency detection figures of 13,687 suspicious accesses per day in the first half of 2026, up 50% year on year, and the background figures for 2021-24. Reported by a single outlet, Asahi Shimbun; no other document gives the same figures.
- Company-specific breach figures: up to about 1.73 million people at MrMax Holdings, about 10.78 million records at Monogatari, about 510,000 medical workers at an Asahi Kasei subsidiary, and 611 fraudulent point exchanges worth 2,869,500 yen at a GMO Internet Group research company. Each of these figures appears in only one document, Asahi Shimbun.
- That about 1.6 million of the Times Car accounts included identity documents such as driver's license images. The detail appears in one document, Livedoor News; Nishi-Nippon Shimbun gives only the approximately 6.6 million account figure.
- Damage in October at Daiwa Securities and the operator of the Yakiniku King chain. Mentioned without details by a single outlet, Livedoor News.
- That inquiries to the Metropolitan Police for driver's license reissuance reached 500 in three days and that the effect is limited. Reported by a single outlet, Sankei Shimbun, with a quoted phrase but no further documentation.
- The Trend Micro specialist's statements on vulnerable VPN equipment, unprotected AI use and traces of automated AI attacks. Reported by a single outlet, Sankei Shimbun.
Qué dicen los medios locales
Cronología, hora local
- Tokyo Shimbun publishes a report that domestic unauthorized access is running at a record pace and that AI misuse is making cyberattacks easier. [ 1 ]
- Nishi-Nippon Shimbun reports that publicly disclosed incidents passed 600 cases by the end of September, citing interviews with Trend Micro, and cites the Times Car leak. [ 2 ]
- Yahoo! News Japan carries the Trend Micro findings on the record pace. [ 3 ]
- Livedoor News adds the Times Car leak figures, the official's warning on phishing emails, and October incidents at Daiwa Securities and the Yakiniku King operator. [ 4 ]
- Sankei Shimbun reports the 600-case figure and quotes a Trend Micro senior specialist on vulnerable VPN equipment, AI use and traces of automated AI attacks. [ 5 ]
- Asahi Shimbun reports record suspicious-access figures from the police agency and details leaks at MrMax Holdings, Monogatari, an Asahi Kasei subsidiary and a GMO Internet Group company. [ 6 ]