What happened
Cyberattacks are accelerating with AI use, shortening the time between vulnerability discovery and attack launch, according to Nobuo Miwa, president of Tokyo-based information security firm S&J. Recent major targets include frozen food maker Nichirei, household goods supplier Askul, and beverage maker Asahi Group Holdings, all of which experienced serious disruptions.
Why it matters
Japanese companies historically face fewer cyberattacks and lack adequate defenses, making them attractive targets for cybercriminals. Miwa warns that AI can create attack programs "in the blink of an eye," meaning organizations must identify potential attack routes in advance and prepare mitigation measures rather than hoping to prevent all entry points.
What to watch
Ransomware attacks typically launch between late Sunday night and early Monday morning, with data encryption completed by early Monday. Miwa emphasizes the importance of disconnecting ordering systems if major system failure is a risk, and recommends close collaboration with external cybersecurity firms—though he notes this involves cost and responsibility-allocation challenges.
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The convergence of AI-powered attack tools and defensive gaps in Japanese enterprises creates a distinct vulnerability. Miwa's remarks follow a visible cluster of incidents at major corporations across food, retail, and beverages—sectors with significant operational dependence on continuous system availability. His key insight—that AI shortens the attack cycle from vulnerability discovery to exploitation—fundamentally shifts the defensive calculus: prevention of all entry points is acknowledged as impossible, so the focus must shift upstream to early identification and containment. The historical relative safety of Japanese targets compounds the problem; fewer past incidents mean less institutional memory and slower adoption of advanced defenses. Miwa's emphasis on disconnecting critical systems (such as ordering infrastructure) and external partnerships reflects a pragmatic acceptance that internal resources alone are insufficient, though he acknowledges the friction points—cost, responsibility boundaries—that slow adoption.
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