Japan to launch white-hat hacker team to combat cyberattacks

Japan plans to launch a dedicated team of white-hat hackers in November 2026 to help combat a sharp rise in AI-powered cyberattacks targeting domestic businesses and critical infrastructure. The team will leverage advanced AI to run automated penetration tests, simulate adversary intrusions, and uncover deep vulnerabilities in corporate and critical utility systems before malicious actors can exploit them.

The move follows an emergency proposal from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and comes amid a surge of cyberattacks and data leaks across Japan.