Frontline Cyber Risks at Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai

Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai attracted attention before opening as a large international event and Japan's first World Expo in 20 years. It ran from April 13 to October 13, 2025.

International events face increased risks of cyberattacks intended to steal confidential information from government agencies of participating countries or advance social causes, making cybersecurity essential to continuing the event safely a major challenge.

Held after the successful conclusion of the Expo, this event will examine the challenges and realities of defending large international events through the experiences of practitioners who handled security incidents every day.

Executives, security officers, and security personnel will gain an opportunity to understand the background of attacks to anticipate at internationally prominent events and perspectives for protecting operational continuity.

For companies, the event will provide an opportunity to learn how security personnel recruited from multiple companies in the Kansai region coordinated beyond the response of any single organization.

Recognizing that facilities and systems involved in event operations may also face cyberattack risks, the event will offer an opportunity to consider countermeasures against cyberattacks that threaten operational continuity.

The event will be held at Hotel Granvia Osaka, located at 3-1-1 Umeda, Kita Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture, directly connected to JR Osaka Station via the Sakurabashi Exit or Central Exit. Attendance is free. Applications must be submitted through the designated form, which uses the external service WEBCAS for registration.

From 3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., the event will address “Cybersecurity Challenges at Large International Events” and introduce issues to consider and required measures. From 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., it will hold the talk session “184 Days of Cyber Defense Supporting the Safe Operation of Expo 2025 Osaka-Kansai.”

The talk session will cover security incident response during the Expo, coordination among personnel drawn from multiple companies, strategies for responding to cyber risks, and the realities of six months of defense. The panelists are Hiroshi Onishi, Daisuke Hashimoto, and Yuri Nishizawa, and the moderator is Akira Nakayama of IPA.

Onishi is affiliated with OPTAGE Inc., Hashimoto with Daikin Industries, Ltd., and Nishizawa with West Japan Railway Company. Nakayama serves as director of the Cyber Incident Investigation Office, Research and Analysis Department, Cybersecurity Center for Industry, IPA. IPA is the organizer, with the Kansai Economic Federation, Kansai Information Center, and Kanoukai scheduled to provide support.