226 Ransomware Attacks Reported in Japan in 2025

Tokyo, March 12 (Jiji Press)–Japanese police confirmed 226 cases of damage from ransomware attacks in 2025, the second-highest annual total, data from the National Police Agency showed Thursday. The number of ransomware attacks, in which perpetrators use a computer virus to encrypt data and demand payment to restore access, rose by four from the previous year. Although some 60 pct of the victims were small and midsize companies, there were cases in which serious damage was inflicted on large companies, such as food and beverage giant Asahi Group Holdings Ltd. and office and household goods supplier Askul Corp. The data showed that prolonged damage tended to lead to higher recovery costs, according to the NPA. Among the 149 cases in which the virus type was identified, “Qilin,” used in the attack against Asahi Group, was the most prevalent ransomware with 32 cases, followed by “LockBit,” with 19 cases. “8Base,” for which the NPA has developed a recovery tool, was identified in one case, showing a significant decrease in damage due to the effects of international joint investigations. Meanwhile, the number of phishing scam cases reported to the Council of Anti-Phishing Japan, mainly formed by financial institutions, grew by about 1.4 times to a record high of 2,454,297. There was a surge in voice phishing cases in February-April and in November, in which perpetrators posing as financial institution officials call people to obtain their bank account information and steal funds from their accounts. As a result, the amount of damage from unauthorized internet transactions reached some 740.8 billion yen, also a record high. Online banking transfers accounted for 4,747 cases, with losses totaling 10.4 billion yen, or 90 pct of the losses from phishing attacks. As online transfers account for 80 pct of losses in other special fraud cases, the NPA is coordinating with other government agencies and banks to strengthen countermeasures. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]