Tokyo, Oct. 12 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government is struggling to address the growing number of personal data leaks at Japanese companies due to cyberattacks, which are believed to have begun to use artificial intelligence. Currently, the government seems only capable of collecting and sharing information on cyberattacks and recommending basic security measures, such as avoiding using passwords that could easily be guessed. At a House of Representatives plenary meeting on Thursday, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi acknowledged that the recent string of personal data leaks is “making citizens anxious” and vowed to analyze related information promptly and alert a wide range of business operators.” However, she stopped short of outlining specific countermeasures. On Friday, government bodies including the National Cybersecurity Office and the industry ministry issued separate alerts listing only conventional measures, such as avoiding the use of products that are no longer supported, suspending or removing unused systems and functions, and swiftly deleting unnecessary data. A government official explained that issuing alerts is “the quickest way” to respond to cyberattacks. Meanwhile, another official admitted that the government “can only ask” companies to take countermeasures. “The attacker side has an overwhelming advantage,” said a senior government official. “The pace at which new cyberattack tools are emerging is accelerating.” On Oct. 1, the government began “active cyber defense” operations to proactively neutralize potential threats. The concrete effects of these operations remain to be seen. The NCO currently provides information on vulnerabilities in certain devices through a public-private council for information sharing, but does not go beyond that. Also on Friday, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party held a meeting of the national cybersecurity strategic headquarters, chaired by former Digital Transformation Minister Masaaki Taira. “Cyberattacks on companies have not ceased but are rather spreading,” Taira pointed out. He mentioned the possibility of an AI-orchestrated saturation attack and noted the need for new countermeasures. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
