The Japanese Executive has given the go-ahead this Friday to a package of emergency measures with the aim of containing the recent wave of cyberattacks and massive data breaches that is affecting private companies and public bodies in the country.
Among the initiatives presented by the team of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, is the push to use Artificial Intelligence to detect weaknesses in information infrastructures, as well as the launch of several high-level specialist groups tasked with responding to intrusions.
"In light of the serious current situation of cyberattacks, an emergency measures package has been drawn up that includes the measures that must be applied on an urgent basis," Takaichi announced in a post on her social networks.
According to the head of Government, this extraordinary plan is structured around four pillars: the "rigorous" application of AI, strengthening the capabilities for analysis and research into cyberthreats, the "strategic" implementation of new cybersecurity measures, and the "strengthening" of support for victims and the prevention of damage.
Last week, Takaichi formally instructed her Cabinet to draft this package after a series of major data leaks resulting from cyberattacks, including the extortion assault suffered by the Internet services provider GMO Internet Group, which forced Tokyo to intervene with a rescue.
"As a Government, through the rapid and effective implementation of the emergency measures package, we commit to improving cyber resilience and dispelling citizens' concerns," the Japanese official assured.
The Cabinet has also detailed the creation of a rapid response unit—formed by experts from the Administration and the private sector—that will go on site to affected companies in order to coordinate the first containment, while a second independent group will provide preventive advice to organizations at risk. At the same time, Tokyo has approved an allocation of 10,000 million yen (around 60 million euros) from the budget reserve fund to strengthen the national cyberdefense infrastructure.
In relation to the attack against the GMO provider, the internal investigation points to a group of 'hackers' linked to the Government of North Korea as a possible party responsible for the intrusion detected about a month ago, according to sources cited by the official agency Kyodo News based on analysis of the malicious code and the digital fingerprint located on the networks.
"At this very moment, successive cases of unauthorized access and information leaks are occurring, which is having a major impact on citizens' lives and on business activity. We will mobilize all government resources to improve the country's overall response capacity," he concluded.