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Yearly Report for Unauthorized Computer Access for 2009

January 15, 2009

IT Security Center
Information-technology Promotion Agency, Japan (IPA)

This is the yearly report for the unauthorized computer access from January to December 2009 compiled by IPA.

1. Reported Number

The yearly reported number for 2009 was 149: decreased 6 (about 4%) from 155, the yearly reported number for 2008.  Please refer to the following graph for the reported numbers for the past 10 years summarized by IPA.  This graph shows that they are decreasing.


2.Type of Damage

In 2009, the reported number for “Intrusion” was decreased so that the gross number of damage was also decreased.


3.Damage Contents

Following are the damage contents for actual damages reported: decreased 49 or about 31% from previous year.  In addition, “Alteration of homepages” was increased, but “Service lowering” and “Alteration of files”, instead.


4. Classification of Reporters

Almost of the half of the reports were filed by individual users.


5. Damage Cause

Upon analyzing the damage cause actually reported, Insufficient ID/Password Management/Configuration with 11 (12%), Use of Older Version of Patches/Never installed patches with 16 (17%), Insufficient Configuration with 6 (6%) are involved.  In addition, those for which causes have not yet been identified are exceeded more than the half of the entire damage causes: it can easily foresee that hardly identifiable damage causes will be increased as the methods for unauthorized computer access is further sophisticated.


6.Countermeasures Information

Because of insufficient ID/password management, server was turned to be a steppingstone to attack to the other site (s)/webpage was altered by malicious intent who covertly intruded to the subjected servers, monetary damage relevant to on-line service used by someone spoofed to be the legitimate user who actually signed up with were the peculiar damages in 2009.  It is remarkable that, of the most of the causes relevant to spoofing have not yet been identified.  In another words, most of the damages other than “spoofing” may have been preventable if user conducts adequate security measures routinely.  Accordingly, be sure that system administrators should conduct/review following measures thoroughly.

- Strict ID/password management/configuration

- Resolving of security holes (operational preventive measures is included if applying patches is not available)

- Router/firewall configuration/access restriction

- Frequent log check

Individual users should be cautious/review with the following items when you use your computer.

- Be sure to update your OSs and applications via Windows Update, Office Update, etc.

- Password configuration/management (to make your password be complex, change it regularly and do not tell it to anyone with ease, etc.)

- Leveraging of router/firewall

- Check your configuration relevant to radio LAN if it is encrypted (use WPA2 as possible as you can as WEP does not provide sufficient security)

Please also refer to the following URLs.

<For system administrators>
<For end users/home users>

Inquiries to:

Information-Technology Promotion Agency, Security Center
Kagaya/Hanamura/Ooura
Tel:+81-3-5978-7527
Fax:+81-3-5978-7518
E-mail: Please feel free to call at +81-3-5978-7517.

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