Number of cleared cyber crime cases in Japan 2012-2021

The number of cleared cyber crime cases in Japan amounted to more than 12.2 thousand in 2021. It has gradually increased in recent years.

Many cleared cases concern child exploitation

A breakdown of cleared cyber crime cases in 2020 shows that the most common type during that year were violations of the laws against child prostitution and child pornography. These issues continue to be a problem despite a revision of the legislation in 2014 following international concern about the sexual exploitation of children in Japan. Other crimes include fraud, unauthorized access, and infringements of the copyright law. The number of online banking frauds surged in 2019, and the amount of money lost through damage caused by online banking fraud increased accordingly. Although the number of banking fraud cases remained high in 2020, the amount of money lost in the process more than halved compared to 2019.

Illegal business practices a prevalent issue

Next to the number of cleared crime cases, which is highly dependent on the activity and prioritization of law enforcement institutions, another indicator for the prevalence of various issues is the number of cyber crime consultations, which remained on a high level in recent years. A breakdown of cyber crime related consultations shows that most consultations are concerned with illegal business practices. A survey on the leading internet security measures implemented by companies revealed that installing antivirus programs on devices was the most common measure taken by companies to protect themselves from online threats.