Summary
This whitepaper presents findings from an independent survey of 207 IT and cybersecurity leaders in Japan, focusing on their experiences with ransomware over the past year. The survey, conducted between January and March 2025, reveals significant increases in ransom demands and payments compared to the previous year. The median ransom demand in Japan reached $1 million, while the median payment was $500,000. The report identifies common technical and operational root causes for ransomware attacks, including exploited vulnerabilities and a lack of expertise. It also discusses the impact of ransomware on organizations, noting that 34% of attacks resulted in data encryption and 70% of organizations that paid the ransom were able to recover their data. The report emphasizes the need for improved prevention, protection, detection, and response strategies to combat the evolving threat of ransomware in Japan. Recommendations are provided for organizations to enhance their cybersecurity measures moving forward.
