Understanding the Increasing Threat of Ransomware and How to Mitigate Its Impact

Ransomware Attacks: The Growing Challenge in 2025

Over the past few months, numerous organizations across Japan, including major corporations, have publicly disclosed their encounters with ransomware attacks. Starting in October 2025, the aftermath of these attacks has led to extended operational shutdowns and severe data breaches. Alarmingly, many of these companies had already implemented preventive measures. Yet, the narrative has emerged that they were unable to stop these attacks or the recovery process took longer than anticipated. This situation has sparked a significant discussion in society about the limitations of existing cybersecurity strategies.

The New Approach: 100% Defense is Impossible

Kenta Hagiwara, Vice President of the Software Association of Japan (SAJ), emphasizes the need to adopt a mindset recognizing that achieving 100% cybersecurity protection is unattainable. Today's ransomware threats extend beyond mere virus infections, involving sophisticated methods where malware mimics legitimate files, steals credentials, and horizontally spreads throughout networks to elevate privileges. Attackers meticulously coordinate their actions, timing data encryption with theft while monitoring backup systems.

The diverse avenues of intrusion are alarming:

- Email attachments
- Exploiting vulnerabilities
- Misconfigurations in cloud settings
- VPN and remote access issues
- Loss of employees’ devices
- Phishing leading to account takeovers

Each of these methods presents unique challenges, leading to the conclusion that companies must operate under the premise that an attack could occur at any moment.

Expanding the Scope of Ransomware Intents

As Hagiwara points out, ransomware attacks today are not limited to mere data encryption aimed at halting operations. The tactics have evolved into a business model with multiple facets:

- Data theft
- Public threats via leak sites
- Multiple layers of extortion
- Disruption of recovery through backup destruction

Despite the gravity of these evolving threats, many companies continue to focus primarily on preventing incursions. While these prevention strategies are crucial, there is an alarming lack of planning for situations following a successful breach.

Commonalities in Long Recovery Times Among Companies

Several incidents reported since October 2025 have revealed significant issues:

- Recovery times ranging from several weeks to over a month
- Interruptions in core operations like shipping and receiving
- Protracted responses to data theft and public threats
- Ripple effects extending through supply chains
- Absence of pre-planned recovery protocols or processes

The failure to design an effective recovery strategy post-intrusion has led to prolonged damage across affected organizations.

What Organizations Must Focus on Now

Moving forward, businesses must prioritize continuity and recovery planning. This involves:

- Conducting post-intrusion simulations
- Designing recovery protocols in advance
- Structuring protective measures around critical data
- Developing a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) that ensures swift operational recovery
- Implementing mechanisms to prevent the escalation of damages

These steps are essential for robust defense against ransomware threats that are increasingly commonplace.

In light of these challenges, Updata Corporation, a data security specialist based in Chiyoda, Tokyo, will host a webinar on December 24, 2025. This session, titled “Can Ransomware Infections Be Prevented? Strategies to Protect and Recover Your Data During Attacks,” will feature insights from Kenta Hagiwara and Katsuya Ishihara, CTO of Updata.

About the Webinar

Participants will gain a deeper understanding of ransomware management, focusing on proactive measures that stakeholders can implement to safeguard their data rather than merely reactive strategies.

Webinar Details:

- Title: Can Ransomware Infections Be Prevented? Strategies to Protect and Recover Your Data During Attacks
- Date & Time: December 24, 2025, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
- Format: Online (Zoom Webinar)
- Cost: Free (Pre-registration required)

Target Audience:

- IT Department personnel
- Security officers
- Corporate planning and risk management teams
- IT staff from small to medium-sized enterprises.

Program:
1. Presentation 1: The Importance of Systems to Prevent Data Loss
- Presented by Kenta Hagiwara, External Director, Updata Corporation

2. Presentation 2: How Data Can Survive Ransomware Attacks
- Presented by Katsuya Ishihara, CTO, Updata Corporation

Updata is committed to advocating the adoption of “data-less” security operations to protect corporate information assets.