Strengthening Japan’s Phishing Defence

Nihon Cyber Defence and Netcraft Strategic Partnership

At Nihon Cyber Defence (NCD), our mission is to support Japan’s long-term resilience against evolving cyber threats. Today, that means tackling one of the most damaging cyber-attack methods we face: phishing.

This is why we have partnered with UK-based Netcraft, a leader in digital threat monitoring and takedown services. Together, we are delivering faster, smarter protection for Japanese organisations facing increasingly sophisticated phishing attacks.

Darcula v3: A New Phase in Targeted Phishing Attacks on Japan

Recent campaigns using the Darcula v3 phishing kit show how far attackers have come.

This kit can mimic almost any website and evade traditional defences by delivering phishing links through mobile messaging apps like iMessage and RCS. It has already been used against users in Japan, particularly in banking and logistics. This reflects global trends, where sectors like transport and government are also frequent targets.

These threats arrive quickly and quietly, often before organisations know they are at risk.

“What sets Darcula apart is stealth. We have seen operators use rotating domains, encryption layers, and mobile-only delivery channels to avoid detection. These kits are designed to outpace traditional takedown workflows, which is why early infrastructure detection is critical. Our platform monitors for these tell-tale signals and responds within minutes.”

— Netcraft

For a broader view of the evolving threat landscape in Japan, see our post on Safeguarding Japan’s Critical Infrastructure.

Real-Time Phishing Detection and Takedown for Japanese Organisations

Through our partnership with Netcraft, NCD is delivering a more proactive defence approach. Netcraft’s platform monitors vast portions of the global internet in real time and has removed over 173 million phishing URLs to date. Their system detects malicious infrastructure early and initiates takedown rapidly—often before victims are exposed.

NCD brings local insight and operational context. We ensure that threat intelligence is actionable in the Japanese environment, coordinate responses across sectors, and support compliance with domestic policies and procedures.

“Darcula demonstrates that phishing campaigns are becoming faster, more personalised, and increasingly difficult to detect. This partnership enables Japanese organisations to move quickly, with clear and effective takedown processes in place.”

— Toshio Nawa, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at NCD

Building Japan’s Cyber Resilience Against Phishing Attacks

The strategic value of this partnership extends beyond technical defence. It contributes directly to the broader objective of strengthening Japan’s cyber posture. By combining global visibility with local execution, we are supporting:

Early detection and mitigation of phishing infrastructure
Coordination across public and private sectors
Improved preparedness through threat insight and response practice

We have already seen positive results supporting institutions in critical sectors such as finance and infrastructure, helping them reduce exposure and respond with greater confidence.

Contact Nihon Cyber Defence for Strategic Support

This partnership reflects a core belief at NCD: that modern threats must be addressed through strategic collaboration and capability development, not isolated interventions. We see phishing not only as a technical challenge, but as an area requiring national-level coordination and operational readiness.

If your organisation is concerned about phishing, or looking to strengthen early warning and takedown capabilities, we welcome a confidential discussion. Contact Us

Cyber Maturity Assessment

Nihon Cyber Defence (NCD) offers comprehensive Cyber Maturity Assessments designed to evaluate an organisations current cyber security capabilities, identify areas for improvement, and develop a strategic roadmap to enhance overall security posture.