29-05-2025
Government to formulate new cybersecurity strategy amid rising threats
The government will deliberate on a new cybersecurity strategy within the year to tackle rising online threats against both the public and private sectors.
The new strategy will involve plans for the government to transition its internal communications from the current public-key cryptography to post-quantum cryptography, the latter of which provides better security against cyberattacks from quantum computers.
The strategy will replace the current one that went into effect in September 2021.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, who chaired a meeting of the government's cybersecurity strategy panel on Thursday, instructed relevant authorities to make preparations toward formulating the new strategy.
The meeting — convened for the first time after a new active cyberdefense law was enacted by parliament — outlined four areas of action that urgently need to be addressed: reshuffling the cybersecurity center under the Cabinet into a command center for cyber-related policies; strengthening public-private cooperation in cyberdefense; boosting personnel training and technological infrastructure; and deepening international cooperation.
Under the new law passed earlier this month, the government will actively gather and analyze communications from and to other countries in order to neutralize threats once signs of a cyberattack emerges. The new law also requires private companies to lodge reports to the government if they fall victim to cyberattacks.
Currently, businesses need to report to multiple ministries and agencies using different formats. Thursday's panel presented a two-step plan to streamline the procedures for filing such reports.
The government will start issuing unified report formats based on different types of attacks starting October, and establish a one-step online system to submit reports when such reports became obligatory as the law takes effect in 2027.
