Defense & Security

Former U.S. Official Urges Japan to Deepen Cyber Ties With West

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:28 JST, March 5, 2026

A former U.S. national cyber director welcomed Japan’s initiatives for an active cyber defense and urged the country to deepen cooperation with the United States and Europe, such as through joint exercises.

In a message to a forum hosted by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and The Yomiuri Shimbun, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi indicated she would push steadily forward with active cyber defense initiatives, noting that Japan has reached a “major turning point” in bolstering its cybersecurity.

Under a new system, the government will monitor for signs of cyberattacks by obtaining and analyzing communication data from critical infrastructure operators, while also enhancing public-private partnership.

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In cases where significant damage is anticipated, the police and the Self-Defense Forces will be authorized to infiltrate the attackers’ servers to neutralize threats by disabling or deleting malicious programs.

To prevent infringement on the secrecy of communication guaranteed by the Constitution, the government plans to establish a cyber communications and information supervisory committee in April as an independent body to monitor government activities.

Chris Inglis, former U.S. national cyber director, lauded the initiatives as a “historic step forward in Japan’s security policy” and called on Tokyo to enhance collaboration with its more experienced U.S. and European counterparts through joint training.

Nobukatsu Kanehara, a former assistant chief Cabinet secretary, said, “30 years behind the rest of the world, [Japan] has finally begun to move toward real cybersecurity.”

Beyond establishing legal frameworks, there is an urgent need to tackle emerging threats, including artificial intelligence-driven cyberattacks.

Shigeru Kitamura, former secretary general of the National Security Secretariat, noted that the use of AI has given attackers an advantage in everything from creating malware to infiltrating networks. “It is extremely important for the defending side to also be armed with AI,” he said.

Satoru Tezuka, commissioner of the Personal Information Protection Commission, called for further accelerating Japan’s digitalization, though he noted he was speaking in a personal capacity.