In response to a series of cyberattacks, the government called on companies to thoroughly implement defense measures while strengthening its own capability to carry out an Active Cyber Defense (ACD), which could infiltrate and disable attackers’ computers.
The government included such measures in the “emergency countermeasure package” released on Nov. 6 after approving it at the Cabinet meeting of relevant ministers on the same day.
The emergency measures package pointed out a fundamental flaw in basic security measures, with unaddressed system vulnerabilities causing the series of unauthorized access incidents that resulted in information leaks.
The package is built around four pillars: ensuring the thorough implementation of basic cyberdefense measures through the use of artificial intelligence; strengthening information gathering and sharing as well as investigative and analytical capabilities; strategically responding to cyberattacks; and enhancing support for victims and measures to prevent further damage.
It also included a proposal to examine access-restriction measures by telecommunications carriers. The proposal is believed to envision options such as blocking, under which telecommunications carriers would prevent access to websites where personal information has been posted online.
However, because such measures could infringe on citizens’ rights, they are expected to be cautiously considered.
The government also decided at the Cabinet meeting to allocate 10 billion yen ($63 million) on cybersecurity measures from this fiscal year’s reserve funds.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said during the meeting, “We will further strengthen our intelligence-gathering capabilities,” and instructed officials to revise relevant legislation.
Her remarks came as she was considering expanding the scope of information that can be collected in cyberspace during peacetime as part of efforts utilizing an ACD.
One factor behind the government’s decision to roll out the package at this time was the unauthorized access attack against GMO Internet Group Inc.
Masatoshi Kumagai, the group’s chief executive officer, posted on X (formerly Twitter) on Oct. 24 that he had requested the government to institute an ACD.
One element of Japan’s ACD framework, known as an “neutralization measure,” allows the police and the Self-Defense Forces to infiltrate computers used by attackers and disable their ability to carry out cyberattacks. A related law authorizing such actions took effect in October.
However, the framework was not designed to respond to requests from private companies, leaving government officials scrambling to determine how to handle the situation.
At the same time, a view was shared within the government that “it would be problematic if we appeared to be doing nothing,” according to a senior official at the Prime Minister’s Office.
At the first ministerial meeting on cybersecurity held on Oct. 26, Takaichi said, “We will strategically select and implement every available response option, including the neutralization measures.”
A government official described the pledge as “a deterrent to the attackers.”
In response to the string of unauthorized access incidents, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party also submitted a proposal to Takaichi on Oct. 23 titled, “On the eve of a cyber emergency.”
Masaaki Taira, former minister in charge of cyber security, compared the situation to the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, saying, “We are now in a situation where infections are spreading aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship,” which was quarantined in Yokohama Port at the time.
The government believes it is highly likely that AI has been used in the cyberattacks incidents and that the damage could become even more severe as more advanced AI systems are developed.
Its greatest concern is that attacks could strike critical infrastructure, disrupting social and economic activities.
The emergency measures package was compiled in about a week following Takaichi’s instructions.
It also called for bolstering the framework needed to ensure the steady implementation of an ACD.
However, officials close to Takaichi acknowledged that, “The package is not something that will produce immediate results” and “what can be done is limited.”
(This article was compiled from reports written by Ryohei Miyawaki, Kenichiro Shino and Haruka Suzuki.)
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