News

Japan launches cybercrime task force

As cybercrime's growth has continued unabated, the matter has quickly become a global concern. According to a report on the state of cybersecurity today, 27 million unique threats were discovered in 2012. That one-year increase has brought to total number of known malware strains to 125 million. Asian countries tended to experience greatest infection rates compared to the United States and Europe with 56 percent of all internet-enabled computers China having been compromised by malware.

In Japan, law enforcement officials have seen their number of network breaches rise significantly in the past year. The Times of India reported that the number of illegal internet access cases identified by Japanese police went from 362 to 1,251 last year. The number of people arrested for internet-based crimes increased as well, rising from 40 to 154. Officials said that in 53 percent of the cases, suspects were attempting to steal digital information and resources.

The Bangkok Post reported that Japanese officials announced they would deploy a nationwide police task force to combat the cybercrime threat. Comprised of 140 members, the team will include IT specialists recruited from private companies and members fluent in various languages including English, Russian and Chinese.

Officials hope the organization can help the Japanese government defend itself against foreign network breaches. In September of 2012, several Japanese websites were attacked, including some operated by the government. Officials have contended that the breach was the work of Chinese operatives in retaliation over a land dispute. As has been seen in other parts of the world, hackers both with state-backing and working alone have launched attacks against government institutions.

Cybercrime continues to affect every corner of the globe. Protect sensitive information while it is in transit with an SSL certificate today.

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