Chinese AI tool used in cyberattacks on Japanese companies, investigation finds

A survey released by Teikoku Databank earlier this week said that around one-sixth of Japanese companies had suffered breaches. | REUTERS

Oct 20, 2026

A Chinese-developed artificial intelligence tool was used to launch cyberattacks on Japanese companies that caused massive security breaches, a Japanese cybersecurity company investigating the attacks has said.

A cybercrime prevention specialist at GMO Cybersecurity by Ierae, a subsidiary of GMO Internet Group, announced on Monday that it had detected the use of Artex in attacks targeting Japanese companies based on forensic logs, or computer-generated records used to uncover evidence of security breaches.

The attacks on Japanese companies may be similar to those on South Korean financial organizations that CrowdStrike, a U.S. cybersecurity firm, reported earlier this month, as both involved Artex, GMO Cybersecurity said in a blog post.

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