Hackers Warn Japan Has One of World's Worst Cybersecurity

Oct 07, 2026 | News On Japan

TOKYO - The ransomware group Qilin, accused of carrying out repeated cyberattacks against companies including Asahi Group Holdings, has warned that attacks targeting Japanese companies and government agencies could increase after a suspected core member was detained in Osaka and extradited to Germany.

Qilin Hacker Group Says Japan Has One of World's Worst Cybersecurity Systems

Hackers Warn Cyberattacks on Japan Could Increase

Qilin Threatens More Attacks After Core Member Detained in Osaka

Qilin Says Japan Has World's Worst Computer Security After Member Detained

The ransomware group Qilin, accused of carrying out repeated cyberattacks against companies including Asahi Group Holdings, has warned that attacks targeting Japanese companies and government agencies could increase after a suspected core member was detained in Osaka and extradited to Germany.

Qilin was linked to a cyberattack against Asahi Breweries in 2025 and has repeatedly targeted companies around the world, including Asahi Group Holdings.

According to people familiar with the investigation, a Russian national believed to be a central member of the group was taken into custody by Japanese investigative authorities in Osaka and subsequently handed over to German authorities.

In a statement provided in response to questions from JNN, Qilin neither confirmed nor denied that the detained man was one of its members.

"We cooperate with more than 300 anonymous individuals around the world, but there has never been a case in which pressure from investigative authorities has caused us to stop our activities," the group said in what it described as an official statement from the team.

Qilin also criticized the authorities, accusing them of attempting to "destroy the life of a person who has not been proven guilty."

The group went further in its assessment of Japan's cybersecurity, describing the country as having "one of the worst computer security systems in the world."

"Attacks against Japanese companies and government agencies could increase in the future," Qilin said. "This is not a threat, but our professional assessment."

Source: TBS

Tokyo University Professor Wins Nobel Prize in Chemistry

Tokyo University of Science professor emeritus Kenzo Soai has been awarded this year's Nobel Prize in Chemistry together with French chemist Henri B. Kagan for discoveries that transformed scientists' understanding of how chemical reactions can favor one of two mirror-image forms of a molecule.

Typhoon No. 28 Heads East as No. 29 Strengthens Near Ogasawara

Strong Typhoon No. 28 is expected to move away from Japan into the Pacific, while Typhoon No. 29 is forecast to intensify into a very strong storm near the Ogasawara Islands, with uncertainty over its eventual path leaving open the possibility of an approach toward Japan. As of 3 p.m. on October 7, Typhoon No. 28 was moving west at about 35 kilometers per hour over waters south of Japan.

US Military Halts All Okinawa Operations for 48 Hours

The US military suspended activities by all forces stationed in Okinawa for 48 hours from noon on October 7, an unusual measure following the arrest of a US Marine in connection with a robbery and murder case that has renewed scrutiny of crimes involving American service members.

Qilin Hacker Detained in Japan

A core member of the international ransomware group Qilin was detained in Japan and handed over to German authorities, according to people familiar with the case, as Japanese companies and institutions face a growing wave of cyberattacks that has exposed nearly 15 million pieces of personal information this month alone.

Year of the Sheep Postcards Arrive in Hokkaido

New Year postcards for 2027 arrived at post offices across Hokkaido on October 6, with designs featuring sheep for the upcoming Year of the Sheep as Japan's traditional New Year card market continues to shrink.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Sci-Tech NEWS

Hackers Warn Japan Has One of World's Worst Cybersecurity

Qilin Hacker Detained in Japan

Japan Startup Begins Building Rare Earth Production Facility

Miresso, a Japanese startup backed by trading house Mitsui & Co., has announced the start of construction of a facility to produce beryllium, a rare metal essential for nuclear fusion power generation, with plans to manufacture 100 tons annually, equivalent to about one-third of current global production.

World’s First iPS Cell Heart Surgery Performed in Osaka

A woman in her 50s with severe heart failure underwent what was described as the world's first surgery using commercially available iPS cell-derived heart muscle sheets at an Osaka hospital on September 29, marking the first practical use of the regenerative treatment.

Japan's Storks Make Remarkable Comeback

Japan's wild population of Oriental storks has exceeded 700 birds following decades of conservation efforts, with successful breeding across the country putting the population on track to surpass 1,000 within two years.

Rare Pod of About 50 Dolphins Spotted in Seto Inland Sea

A rare pod of around 50 dolphins was spotted swimming through the Seto Inland Sea off Ozu, Ehime Prefecture, with dozens of dorsal fins repeatedly breaking the surface as the animals moved together.

Cybercab Arrives in Japan

Tesla unveiled its Cybercab in Japan for the first time on September 11, showcasing an AI-powered autonomous taxi designed without a steering wheel or pedals.

Footage Shows Tokyo Flood Control Tunnel After Heavy Rain

Large volumes of floodwater poured into the Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel in Kasukabe, Saitama Prefecture, following heavy rain on September 7, prompting the massive underground flood-control facility known as the "Underground Temple" to go into operation.

< 2 3 4 5 >