Former U.S. National Cyber Director Calls for Public-Private Cooperation

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:53 JST, March 5, 2026

Former U.S. National Cyber Director Chris Inglis stressed the importance of cooperation between the private sector and government to reinforce cybersecurity preparedness at an international forum held in Tokyo by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and The Yomiuri Shimbun on Wednesday.

Inglis, who was the first National Cyber Director from 2021 to 2023 under the Biden administration, gave the keynote speech at the forum, which explored measures to protect infrastructure from cyberattacks.

Inglis said, “The defense of our digital nation cannot rest solely in the hands of government,” while pointing out the fact that important functions of Japan’s economy, such as storing financial data and managing electric power, are managed by the private sector. Regarding the “active cyber defense” that the Japanese government has recently established, he advised that it should be implemented properly.

Inglis also expressed his expectation of the cooperation that Japan has been advancing with other nations by saying that “Japan is not only defending itself — it is helping to secure digital commons upon which all nations depend.”

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said in a written message, “I intend to protect the lives of the people and the economy [through strengthening cyber defense].”