Japan declared a national cyberspace emergency after a severe wave of cyberattacks hit dozens of leading brands, convenience stores, car rental operators, hospitals, and government facilities. The Financial Services Agency warned banks to stop accepting driver’s licenses as sole proof of identity following a massive data leak at Times Car involving digital ID photos. Train operator JR East also reported that 1.67 million customer email addresses were compromised in a broader ransomware attack hitting SoftBank subsidiary IDC Frontier. Security experts attribute Japan’s heightened vulnerability to an aging population, delayed system digitization, and legacy security practices that leave valuable data exposed. Officials note that emerging technologies and AI are lowering barriers for malicious actors, enabling threat actors to target smaller systems and scale up attacks much faster.

Full report : Following widespread cyberattacks targeting major brands, rail operators, and the police, the Japanese government has declared a state of emergency and urged tighter banking security.