Number of cyber crime consultations in Japan 2012-2018

The number of consultations regarding cyber crimes in Japan stood at almost 127 thousand in 2018. While the number was lower than in the previous year, it constituted an increase of almost 50 thousand cases compared to 2012.

Business-related crimes most common issue

A breakdown of the consultations showed that illegal business practices were the most common reason for consultations in Japan. The most common cyber crime damages experienced by companies included crimes such as targeted email attacks and attempts to infect companies with computer viruses. In order to protect themselves, Japanese companies employ various forms of information security measures. A survey on the leading internet security measures showed that four out of five businesses had installed antivirus programs on devices to protect their systems and information from threats as of December 2019.

Lack of awareness with regard to cyberbullying

Another issue that has impacted online users in Japan and elsewhere is cyberbullying. By exploiting the accessibility and anonymity of the internet, victims are harassed and bullied in a worldwide connected space, in which countermeasures are not fast enough to contain the threats. Among young people aged 17 to 19 years old, around 12 percent had experienced online defamation as of June 2020. An earlier survey on the topic revealed that less than 60 percent of Japanese had experienced or heard of cyberbullying, showing a lack of awareness of this type of online threat.