ASKUL Corporation

Defense expert Fumiichi Okuno points out that we have already entered a new phase that should be called cyber intelligence warfare. In 2025, 559 security incidents were publicly disclosed in Japan, with damage coming to light at a rate of 1.5 cases per day. A ransomware attack on Asahi Group halted shipments of Super Dry, and it took about five months to fully normalize operations. An attack on Askul caused its corporate services revenue to drop 95 percent year-on-year, with ripple effects on logistics for other companies such as Muji and Loft. Okuno argues that the essence of cyber intelligence warfare is to deprive the opponent of decision-making ability and paralyze social functions, and that the condensation and distillation of information by AI will determine victory or defeat.