In Osaka, a man identified as Yoshiyuki Nakashima, 38, was arrested for allegedly deploying a fake ransomware alert on a monitor at an IT company to sabotage operations. Nakashima reportedly expressed his dissatisfaction with the company's security practices and aimed to expose what he perceived as the employees' low security awareness. He confessed to the police that his actions were motivated by a desire for revenge against the company management and to raise security awareness among coworkers.

The cybercrime investigation unit found that Nakashima, who had previously worked for the company overseeing its computer systems, used a co-worker's ID and password to infiltrate the company's internal systems. He was accused of causing significant operational disruption by displaying messages that mimicked real ransomware, including threats regarding file encryption, and even programming the shutdown of servers. The alert screen gave a false impression of infection by the notorious WannaCry ransomware, which had previously caused widespread damage globally, including in Japan.

The aftermath of Nakashima's actions forced the company to conduct thorough server investigations, leading to financial losses estimated at around 20 million yen. It was reported that Nakashima had already resigned from his position prior to his arrest, highlighting how internal dissatisfaction and security concerns can escalate into criminal behavior within corporate environments.