Nikkei: Japan is preparing a new cybersecurity strategy that includes preventive measures

According to the Japanese agency Nikkei, the Japanese government will improve its national cybersecurity strategy, which in some cases will include the possibility of taking preventive measures. Last Saturday, the draft updated strategy was submitted to the country’s coalition government for consideration.

The Nikkei notes that under current laws, Japan can only retaliate in cyberspace after a nationwide state of emergency has been declared, which requires the intervention of the national defense forces. Now it is proposed to simplify the use of retaliatory measures against cyber threats against Japan. For example, it is proposed to monitor those who have already attempted cyberattacks on Japanese resources on the Internet, and if new risks are discovered on their part, to inflict a preventive strike on such cybercriminals by their own methods, such as a cyberattack.

Japan’s coalition government is expected to consider making changes to its cybersecurity strategy by the end of December, with a view to submitting them to the country’s parliament in January. If adopted, this would be the first major revision of Japan’s national cybersecurity strategy since 2013, when such a strategy was adopted amid growing cyber threats against Japan, mainly from China, and also due to heightened tensions over Taiwan.

Evgeniy Khvostik