Japanese businesses are facing an alarming rise in distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, disrupting operations across key sectors, including logistics, government, and financial entities. Prominent organizations, such as major banks, telecom providers, and airlines, reported service interruptions during the holiday season, raising concerns about the resilience of critical infrastructure.
A Wave of Cyber Disruption
The largest wireless carrier in Japan, NTT Docomo, revealed that its "goo" portal site, streaming services, e-commerce platform, and even niche offerings like its golf subscription service were impacted by DDoS attacks early Thursday. Service disruptions persisted for approximately 11 hours, affecting millions of users nationwide.
Resona Bank, headquartered in Osaka, disclosed that its customer-facing My Gate app experienced connectivity issues due to a similar attack. The parent company, Resona Holdings, confirmed that other group banks—Minato Bank, Kansai Mirai Bank, and Saitama Resona Bank—faced temporary service disruptions as well. Although no data breaches or malware infections were detected, the incident underscores the potential vulnerability of interconnected systems.
In a separate attack, Mizuho Bank, Japan's third-largest financial institution, reported an online banking outage lasting three hours on a busy Tuesday morning. Similarly, MUFG Bank, Japan's largest bank, faced network issues that disrupted customer access to services like Mitsubishi UFJ Direct and BizSTATION just after Christmas.
Aviation Not Spared
Japan Airlines also reported disruptions over the Christmas holiday period, where suspected DDoS activity delayed 24 domestic flights and disrupted ticket sales. The airline swiftly mitigated the attack within hours and assured customers that sensitive data remained secure.
A Pattern of Escalation
These recent incidents mirror a broader pattern of escalating cyberattacks against Japan. In late 2024, Kremlin-linked groups launched a spate of DDoS attacks after Japan and the United States announced military exercises near Russia’s eastern coast. Targets included political entities, manufacturers, and local governments. Earlier in the year, Russia-affiliated hacktivists retaliated against Japan’s support for a G7-backed loan to Ukraine, further targeting Japanese networks.
Cybersecurity firm Netscout reported that logistics and manufacturing facilities, especially harbors and shipyards, were frequent targets of these attacks. Government agencies and financial institutions were also prominently affected. According to Netscout, Japan experiences approximately 2,000 DDoS attacks daily, employing tactics such as direct-path attack vectors and leveraging both nuisance networks and legitimate services like VPNs and cloud providers.
Low-Cost, High-Impact Cybercrime
The National Police Agency of Japan (NPA) recently highlighted the affordability and accessibility of DDoS services, which allow even non-technical users to launch disruptive attacks. The NPA’s joint operation with Europol in December led to the takedown of 27 DDoS-for-hire services and the arrest of several perpetrators. However, the agency has warned that businesses should brace for further attacks in the near future.
Strengthening Cyber Defenses
As Japan grapples with this surge in cyberattacks, organizations must prioritize bolstering their cybersecurity measures. Leveraging solutions such as anti-DDoS technology, incident response planning, and employee training will be critical to mitigating future threats.
With the frequency and sophistication of attacks increasing, the urgency to invest in resilient infrastructure and robust cybersecurity practices has never been greater.
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