Ransomware incidents in Japan in the first half of 2026: Investigation of The Gentlemen’s infrastructure and evidence of Qilin's AI use
Ransomware attacks in Japan rose nearly 5% in the first half of 2026, with a group called The Gentlemen topping the charts and Qilin showing signs of using AI in its operations. Roughly 80% of victims were small and medium-sized businesses with capital under one billion yen.
Why this matters: Small businesses are the story here. They are the ones getting hit hardest, and they are the least equipped to recover. The Gentlemen more than doubling their leak-site activity in six months is not a blip. It is a group scaling up fast. The AI angle around Qilin matters too. If ransomware groups are using AI to move faster or target better, smaller companies with thin IT teams have even less time to catch what is coming at them.
Who should care: Cybersecurity · Privacy officers · Administrators · Lawyers · Compliance · General readers · AI governance · Policy
This summary is AI-assisted and may contain errors. It is an original briefing to help you gauge significance quickly — not a reproduction of the source. Always read the linked original before relying on it. See our methodology.