Japan National Center for Incident Preparedness and Cybersecurity Strategy (NISC)

History

2023: IT Hacking

On August 29, 2023, the National Incident Preparedness and Strategy Center cyber security Japan (NISC) reported hacking its information infrastructure and leaking user personal data.

It is said that the hacker invasion took place in October 2022. Attackers for about nine months stole state and other information. The problem is related to a flaw in the NISC postal service. How much information was in the hands of cybercriminals is not reported. It is noted that NISC serves various government structures, so there are fears that hackers could gain access to information of national importance.

Japanese information security agency admitted to hacking its IT system

An investigation into the incident is ongoing. The affected department does not make accusations against any specific cybercriminal group. According to the Financial Times, citing knowledgeable sources, Chinese hackers supported by the government are behind the attack. However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC refutes this information, shifting responsibility for the invasion to the United States. Officials in Beijing promise to disclose the activities of American structures in the field of cyber espionage.

This incident continued a series of attacks on Japan's critical computer infrastructure. In particular, the US National Security Agency discovered that Chinese military hackers hacked into Japan's defense networks. The failure of the Land of the Rising Sun to safely store and process data is a concern for allies, including Britain.

According to the Financial China Times, it is also behind another incident that occurred Japanese in the port of Nagoya in early 2023. Although authorities initially attributed the attack to the LockBit ransomware gang, a subsequent investigation suggested PRC hackers could be involved in the invasion.^[1]

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