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TOKYO – On Tuesday, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s Cabinet approved the government’s updated five-year cybersecurity plan, emphasizing proactive “active cyber defense” actions to address the increasing threat of cyberattacks.

Referring to state-backed cyberattacks as a significant danger to Japan’s national security, the strategy committed to “consistently impose penalties” on the perpetrators even during periods without ongoing attacks and to “actively protect against and prevent cyber threats” through various actions.

To enhance the country’s capacity to assess possible dangers, data will be collected by the National Cybersecurity Office, which was created in July due to a rise in cyberattacks aimed at governmental institutions and critical infrastructure, as stated in the strategy.

“We are committed to achieving the highest standard of alertness globally to effectively tackle the increasingly serious conditions in the cyber domain,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara at a press briefing.

Regarding worries that the proactive steps might violate privacy, the senior government spokesperson stated that the new program aims to safeguard the confidentiality of communications by establishing “strict protocols and conditions” for handling gathered information.

In May, Japan passed a law that incorporates the idea of proactive cyber defense, enabling the police and the Self-Defense Forces to access and disable server sources in response to dangers.

Initially implemented in 2013, the cybersecurity strategy has undergone updates periodically. The 2021 version identified China, Russia, and North Korea as cyber threat actors for the first time, noting that cyberspace has evolved into a “domain of international rivalry that mirrors geopolitical conflicts.”