How many cyber attacks occur in Japan and what are their purposes?

Cyber ​​attacks have become increasingly diverse and complex in recent years. The number is said to be on the rise. This time, we will introduce recent trends in cyberattacks in Japan, including changes in the number and purpose of cyberattacks.

Number of information leak incidents in Japan

First, let's take a look at how many incidents related to information security actually occur in Japan.

According to a research report on information security incidents by the NPO Japan Network Security Association, in 2017,386 itemsincidents have been confirmed. Additionally, according to this report, the number of incidents has been gradually decreasing since peaking at 2,357 in 2012, as shown below.

However, it is important to note that this informationThere is no evidence that information leak incidents are decreasing among Japanese small and medium-sized enterprises.about it. This survey analyzes information leak incidents reported on news sites and the details of incidents published on company websites, etc.Incidents that have not been announced or reported are not counted.

Some companies do not notice incidents

Large companies whose information leakage incidents are widely covered in the news, and companies that publicize their own information leakage incidents, are naturally highly security conscious, and many of them are taking proper countermeasures. It's possible.

On the other hand, most small and medium-sized businesses in Japan are unlikely to notice even if an information leakage incident occurs, and even if it does occur, fewer companies will disclose it. Therefore,If we focus on small and medium-sized enterprises, the number of information leak incidents may still be increasing.

What is the trend in the number of cyber attacks?

A report by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, a national research and development agency, announces the amount of packet traffic that is believed to be used in cyber attacks. According to this report, the annual total number of observed packets per IP address increased from 53,085 in 2012 to 559,125 in 2017.10 times moreIt has become.

Additionally, according to a security report from Akamai, which monitors the internet around the world, Japan was the fourth country to receive web-based attacks in 2017. Although it was not ranked in 2015, it gradually moved up the rankings, reaching 9th place in 2016 and 4th in 2017.

Cyber ​​attacks continue to increase both in Japan and around the world.

Changes in cyber attacks by method

In recent years, not only have cyberattacks increased, but their methods have also become more diverse and complex. Depending on the method used, it seems that some cyber attacks are increasing while others are decreasing.

It started to attract attention after the information leak incident at the Japan Pension Service.Targeted email attackIn 2013, it accounted for half of all attacks, but in 2017 it significantly decreased to 3%.

Increase in disseminated attacks

While targeted email attacks are decreasing,The number of disseminated attacks is increasing. In 2013, there were about 250 cases, but in 2017 there were more than 5,000 cases, a significant increase.

The background isRansomware attack epidemicThe number of cases has more than tripled.

In recent years, the number of IoT devices has increased rapidly due to the development of IoT. Many of the cyber attacks targeting IoT devices are carried out over TELNET connections (TCP/23).

According to a survey by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT),Among domestic Internet communications, the proportion of TELNET is increasing markedly.. In 2017, this amounted to 38.5% of the total, and it is believed that most of this was used for cyber attacks.

Increase/decrease in cyber attacks by purpose

Cyber ​​attacks can come from anywhere in the world, but most attacks have a purpose. By learning about their purpose, you may be able to better understand why you are being targeted.

Internet banking comes to mind as an example of a financially motivated cyber attack. Cyber ​​attacks targeting internet banking breach password authentication and make fraudulent money transfers. In recent years, banks have introduced one-time passwords and strengthened their monitoring systems, and the number of incidents has been reduced to about one-third of its peak. Instead, these days, they ask for one-time passwords over the phone, pretend to be business partners and change the bank account transfer destination, etc.Incidents involving sophisticated techniques are on the rise.

Basically, it's like a child's prank, and the attack itself doesn't have much meaning. Nowadays,As cyberattacks become more commercialized, the proportion of attacks aimed at pranks is decreasing..

The objectives range from personal revenge to state interference in online elections. In recent years, with the wave of IoT, the boundaries between physics and IT have become blurred.Destructive activities caused by cyber attacks have a direct impact on the real worldNow it looks like this. It is said that cyber attacks will threaten human lives in the future.

A hacker (group) whose purpose is to send political statements to the world."hacktivist"It is called. Their purpose is not to obtain money or engage in sabotage, but rather to stand out in cyberattacks.

lastly

It is difficult to quantify the exact damage caused by cyberattacks, as the numbers vary greatly depending on the investigation method and attack definition. However, even when comparing multiple reports,Cyber ​​attacks occurring in Japan and around the world are on the rise.. Among them, there are many attacks for financial purposes,Information security measures for individuals and organizations are becoming more importantIt's becoming more and more.

[Reference site]
・Investigation report on information security incidents in 2017 [Preliminary version] | Japan Network Security Association
・NICTER observation report 2017 released | National Institute of Information and Communications Technology