AI news · Asia · security
Japan and South Korea step up cyber defences as attacks surge
Nine South Korean banks are investigating breaches, and Japan asks companies to treat cyber security as a core management issue.
Companies in Japan and South Korea are strengthening their cyber defences after a run of attacks that specialists say AI tools have made faster and cheaper, Reuters reported on Friday 9 October 2026. Nine South Korean banks and two megachurches are investigating attacks in which AI use is suspected, and Daiwa Securities, SoftBank and Lawson are among the Japanese firms hit.
Japan’s government asked companies the same day to treat cyber security as a core management issue, invest more, appoint specialist staff and report damage quickly to the National Cyber Office, Seoul Economic Daily reports, citing Kyodo News. Japan recorded more incidents in the first nine months of 2026 than in all of 2025, with 86 in September, according to TrendAI data cited by Reuters.
CrowdStrike says a 26-year-old China-based attacker it suspects of the South Korean bank incidents used a Chinese-developed AI agent and Anthropic’s Claude Code, and would probably not have managed the campaign without AI, Reuters reports. South Korea’s Financial Services Commission has told financial industry associations, regulators and affected executives to complete a 12-point cyber security self-assessment.
For businesses in the region, the government’s request is concrete: name the staff, fund the defences and report incidents fast.
Sources
- Reuters (via NBC News): South Korea and Japan are buffeted by hacks as AI lowers bar for cybercriminals. Checked
- Seoul Economic Daily: Japan urges firms to boost cybersecurity as AI-driven attacks surge. Checked
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