Trend Micro CEO Warns Japan Facing New Cybercrime Wave as Hackers Reuse Stolen Data and Deploy AI

Japan is heading into what could be the next major wave of cybercrime, as hackers increasingly recycle stolen personal information and lean on artificial intelligence to sharpen and speed up their attacks, according to Eva Chen, chief executive of cybersecurity company Trend Micro.

Speaking Monday, Chen warned that criminals are not only breaking into systems to steal data, but are also turning that information into a tool for follow-on operations: more convincing scams, more precisely targeted intrusions, and faster-moving campaigns that are harder for organizations to stop in time. The growing pace of attacks, she said, is a sign that automation — including AI-driven methods — is becoming central to how these groups operate.

Chen argued that Japan has become an especially appealing destination for financially driven hackers. One reason is straightforward: the country’s economic strength makes it a lucrative target. Another is structural. Japanese companies and institutions often maintain detailed, carefully organized customer records, which can be highly valuable once stolen. In the hands of cybercriminals, such datasets can enable attackers to tailor messages, impersonate legitimate businesses more credibly, and focus their efforts on individuals and organizations most likely to pay or to provide further access.

The warning reflects a broader shift in cybercrime tactics: theft is increasingly only the opening move. When attackers obtain personal details — such as identifying information contained in customer databases — they can reuse it to improve the success rate of phishing and other deception-based attacks. AI tools, meanwhile, can reduce the time and cost required to craft tailored messages at scale, allowing criminal groups to iterate quickly and strike many targets with minimal manual effort.

For defenders, the combination of high-quality stolen data and rapid automation raises the stakes. More realistic fraud attempts can lead to financial losses for individuals and businesses, while targeted intrusions can escalate into wider breaches that disrupt operations and expose additional sensitive information. Chen’s remarks suggest that Japan’s risk profile is changing not because the country has suddenly become less vigilant, but because criminals see greater potential payoff and can now weaponize stolen information more efficiently.

Trend Micro’s CEO framed the situation as an approaching “storm” — a period when organizations may face a higher volume of attacks that are also more customized and more difficult to detect. The implication is that companies cannot treat data breaches as one-time incidents. Once personal data is leaked, it can fuel repeated waves of exploitation, particularly as automated tools make it easier for criminals to turn raw information into targeted lures.

Why it matters

Japan’s businesses and consumers are likely to bear the brunt of more personalized cybercrime as stolen customer information is repurposed into convincing fraud. If attackers can automate targeting with AI, the window to identify and block scams may shrink, increasing the cost of breaches long after the initial theft. What happens next will depend on how quickly organizations strengthen protections around customer records and adapt defenses to faster, more automated attack cycles.