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AhnLab has appointed Yoji Tsubaki as the new country manager of its Japan subsidiary and showcased its integrated IT-OT cyber-physical systems (CPS) security capabilities at Security Days Fall 2026 Tokyo. The company pitched its OT network security solution AhnLab XTD and OT endpoint security solution AhnLab EPS to target demand for ransomware response and prevention of production shutdowns on manufacturing floors. Japan has a high manufacturing share and many legacy facilities, creating substantial OT security demand, but competition with global and local vendors is fierce. The new country manager said he will strengthen AhnLab’s position in the Japanese market based on accumulated industrial-site references and locally grounded support.
Key Elements
AhnLab has installed a new head of its Japan subsidiary and launched a push into integrated information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) security targeting local manufacturers. The move fired the starting signal for its Japan market offensive with its participation in Security Days Fall 2026 Tokyo, a leading Japanese cybersecurity exhibition held in Tokyo from the 21st to the 23rd.
At the exhibition, AhnLab put cyber-physical systems (CPS) security spanning IT and OT front and center. It ran both booth exhibits and presentation sessions to raise brand awareness while exploring new business opportunities. The company said it has now appeared at a second major local event, following Interop Tokyo 2026 in June, Japan’s largest IT exhibition, underscoring its commitment to the Japanese market.
The focus of the event was on how to prevent ransomware spreading onto manufacturing floors and the resulting risk of production shutdowns. In Japan, a string of cyberattacks targeting companies and institutions has made CPS security a core task for stably maintaining OT equipment and IT operating systems.
AhnLab showcased its dedicated OT network security solution, AhnLab XTD, introducing OT asset visibility and threat detection and response capabilities within OT networks. It emphasized that the solution can catch not only threats spreading inside OT networks but also threats entering through IT networks. It also highlighted malware detection capabilities for responding to ransomware and protecting production equipment that could otherwise lead to manufacturing shutdowns.
The OT endpoint security solution AhnLab EPS also drew visitor interest. The product is applied to special-purpose systems such as factory control systems within industrial control systems (ICS), point-of-sale (POS) terminals, kiosks and automated teller machines (ATMs). The company said its ultra-lightweight design reduces the burden on equipment and that it supports older operating systems (OS) for which security patching has ended, allowing deployment on legacy facilities that are difficult to replace.
In the presentation session, Masao Mi Krokawa, a manager at AhnLab’s Japan subsidiary, took the stage as a speaker and shared CPS security strategies to support uninterrupted operations at industrial sites under the theme “The Optimal Solution for Increasingly Sophisticated CPS Security in the AI Era.”
On the 1st of this month, AhnLab appointed Yoji Tsubaki as the new country manager of its Japan subsidiary to expand its Japanese business. Tsubaki is an IT and security expert with more than 20 years of experience at IBM, Symantec, Veritas and other companies, and has led local business development and partnership expansion for global companies based on his understanding of the Japanese market.
“Japanese customers show a considerably high level of engagement with AI-based security as well as CPS security for operational stability on manufacturing floors and ransomware response,” he said. “Based on the CPS security experience and references accumulated at diverse industrial sites in South Korea and abroad, together with locally grounded support, I will continue to strengthen our position in the Japanese security market.”
Japan has structurally large OT security demand given its high manufacturing share. Once production equipment stops, recovery costs are enormous, and many legacy devices make it difficult to apply security patches. AhnLab’s emphasis on support for older OS versions and lightweight design is seen as targeting these local conditions.
The competitive landscape is also fierce. Global security companies are rolling out OT-specific solutions one after another, and Japanese local security vendors are countering with products specialized for manufacturing floors. AhnLab now needs to expand local partnerships centered on its new country manager while differentiating itself with its accumulated industrial-site references.
AhnLab aspires to be an AI-native security platform company and is putting integrated security capabilities connecting IT and OT at the forefront. Whether its exhibition participation and the replacement of its subsidiary head will lead to actual sales growth in Japan is a key point to watch going forward.
