News·October 20, 2026 at 12:42 AM EDT·3 sources
AI Tool That Hacked Korean Banks Was Used in Japan, GMO Says
DSEEYSFTBF
Japanese companies targeted, according to The Wall Street Journalaround 80
Japanese companies targeted, according to GMOabout 20
What happened
- ARTEX, a China-developed AI tool, was used in attacks targeting Japanese companies, GMO Cybersecurity by Ierae said.
- GMO identified six AI-enabled servers appearing to target Japanese companies across finance, retail, logistics, media and other sectors.
- Sources disagree on the scale: GMO cited about 20 targeted Japanese companies, while The Wall Street Journal reported around 80.
AI-enabled servers identified by GMO
six
Japanese companies targeted, according to GMO
about 20
Japanese companies targeted, according to The Wall Street Journal
around 80
Companies that disclosed data leaks in the last two months
Eight
Why it matters
The incidents raise operational, cyber-risk and potential disclosure concerns for financial institutions and other companies embedded in Japan’s technology and industrial supply chains.
What to watch. GMO Cybersecurity by Ierae is investigating whether countries beyond Japan and South Korea are being targeted and has shared its findings with law enforcement.
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Timeline
- EarlierOct 20SoftBank Group Credit Risk Hits 4-Year High on AI Funding Strain
- First reported by BloombergOct 20AI Tool That Hacked Korean Banks Was Used in Japan, GMO Says
- Insurance Journal reportsOct 20AI Tool That Hacked Korean Banks Was Used in Japan: Security Firm
- The Wall Street Journal reportsOct 21Chinese AI Tool Linked to Hacks in Japan
Who is involved
AI Tool That Hacked Korean Banks Was Used in Japan, GMO SaysGMO Cybersecurity by Ierae Inc.GMO Internet Group Inc.ARTEXDaiwa Securities Group Inc.DSEEYEast Japan Railway Co.SoftBank Corp.SFTBFDaiki Fukumori
CompanyPerson
Sources (3)
- BloombergOct 20AI Tool That Hacked Korean Banks Was Used in Japan, GMO Says
- Insurance JournalOct 20AI Tool That Hacked Korean Banks Was Used in Japan: Security Firm
- The Wall Street JournalOct 21Chinese AI Tool Linked to Hacks in Japan
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