Japan has been the target of cyber attacks driven by political and economic motivations, rivaled by countries that are among the biggest cyber attackers on the planet: China and Russia.
James Lewis, senior vice president at the Washington Center for Strategic and International Studies, says Japan is the main target of Chinese cyber activities.
The Washington Post newspaper published, in early August 2023, that China, which already has the largest legion of state-sponsored hackers in the world, broke into Japan's defense networks and had deep and persistent access to plans, capabilities and assessments of military deficiencies, among other sensitive Japanese information.
In July 2023, the port of Nagoya, Japan's largest and busiest port, was the target of a LockBit ransomware attack, linked to the Russian criminal group.
A year earlier, the port's website had already been inaccessible due to a DDoS attack launched by the pro-Russian group Killnet.
In 2022 attacks compromised companies in the supply chains, including leading the giant Toyota to close 14 factories.
Hospitals and hundreds of critical infrastructure companies also join the list of victims in Japan.
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