Japan will establish a team of ethical hackers next month to identify security weaknesses amid a series of cyberattacks.
Why Is Japan Forming a Hacking Team?
Japanese Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa announced that the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry will establish a team of cybersecurity specialists to identify vulnerabilities in computer systems and strengthen protection against unauthorised access and data breaches. The team will operate within the Innovation Platform Agency, which is affiliated with the ministry. Akazawa said Japan’s existing cyber defences have systematic weaknesses that need to be addressed to improve security across industries.
The announcement follows disruptions affecting government websites and corporate services after vulnerabilities were detected in the widely used PHP programming language. Some services were partially suspended as a precaution, while the ministry circulated cybersecurity warnings through approximately 1,000 industry organisations and associations.
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What Happened in the Arcadia Cyberattack?
Disaster information services provider Arcadia Inc. disclosed that approximately 1.42 million suspicious emails had been sent through its systems following cyberattacks. The Osaka Prefecture-based company, which distributes disaster information on behalf of local governments, suspended services on October 13 after detecting unauthorised access to its computer systems. Server operations resumed two days later.
However, Arcadia warned that up to 3.13 million email addresses might have been exposed. Company President Seiichi Tenpaku acknowledged that the incident had damaged public trust and the company’s social responsibility.
How Many Records Were Exposed at Sagawa Express?
Japanese parcel delivery company Sagawa Express also confirmed unauthorised access involving its online parcel-tracking service. The company said personal information associated with as many as 53.23 million shipments might have been compromised. Potentially affected records include names, addresses and telephone numbers of parcel senders and recipients for shipments handled between June 21 and September 30.
Sagawa Express clarified that credit card information and account sign-in passwords were not exposed. The unauthorised access was confirmed on September 30, prompting the company to suspend certain online services. Some of those services subsequently resumed operations. The incident adds to concerns about the security of systems handling large volumes of personal information.
What Did the Park24 Investigation Reveal?
Parking and car-sharing operator Park24 reported that further investigations into a cyberattack had identified approximately 1.46 million images of identification documents on its Times Car website. The documents included driving licences belonging to users of the company’s services. Park24 had initially estimated that approximately 1.6 million images might have been exposed.
The company announced compensation of 3,000 yen per affected person, payable in cash or vouchers. However, a lawyer representing affected customers described the proposed amount as insufficient and indicated plans for legal action.
The420 Insight: The incidents highlight vulnerabilities affecting government services, logistics networks and businesses holding personal information. Japan’s proposed ethical hacking team represents an effort to identify weaknesses before attackers exploit them, while the recent breaches demonstrate the scale of information potentially at risk.
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