AI tools fuel surge in cyberattacks across Japan and South Korea

From late September through October, Japan and South Korea experienced a series of coordinated cyberattacks that exposed personal data, disrupted services and targeted government bodies. Victims included Times Car, major news organizations, logistics and financial providers, department stores, restaurant chains, the Digital Agency and police departments in Okayama, Kanagawa and Fukuoka, as well as South Korean banks. A cybersecurity firm linked the Japanese incidents to a Chinese AI program named ARTEX, while CrowdStrike reported Chinese-language instructions guiding the South Korean assaults.

Ani Terada of AironWorks warned that generative AI eliminates the language hurdle, enabling even small groups to launch sophisticated phishing and voice-impersonation scams. He also highlighted Japan's relatively low investment in cybersecurity and the recent activation of an active-defense law on October 1, which may have prompted the timing of the attacks. The rise in AI-enabled crime underscores the need for stronger defenses as consumer spending ramps up toward year-end.