Cybersecurity and Cyber-Attacks
Cybersecurity is an overall term encompassing all the technologies, processes and procedures set in place to protect computer networks, personal gadgets, programs and data from malicious damage, or unauthorized access (Dewar 3). Cyber-attack is a malicious or unauthorized access to a personal computer files or programs without the consent of the owner. In the recent past, Japan has been in the spotlight for several cyber-attacks which are a risk to both personal and government entities such as national intelligence. Cyber-attack threats are very dynamic and greatly vary with time, thereby making them a constant concern for various organizations (Dewar 3). The global cyber security market has reached $75 million and keeps rising further, as the risk increases day by day (Yamanoue, Noboru and Kunihiko 17).
Cyber-Attacks in Japan
Japan has been the victim of multiple cyber-attacks in the past. In the year 2016 alone, 12.6 million cases were reported, with roughly 10% of all Japanese citizens becoming victims (Yamanoue, Noboru and Kunihiko 170). This was a six-fold increase from the previous year, with the greatest attack being on a travel agency named JTB Corp. Others included 65 private companies, 17 administrative bodies and an IT firm (Piped Bits Co.), where almost a million customers' personal details were leaked (Tsuchiya, 15). Besides that year, 2011 proved to be difficult for the Japanese lower house of parliament, after it was cyber-attacked by a server based in China, leaking passwords and other personal information. In addition to that, the same year was characterized by an attack on Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd, where its submarine, missile and nuclear power point were concluded to be the hacker's target (Tsuchiya, 15). Japan has therefore been placed on the hot seat by hackers over the recent past.
Costs of Cyber-Attacks
Cyber-attacks come with a huge bill. The systems must be updated, new security features installed, and the leak investigated and dealt with appropriately. In addition to that, the victims have to be compensated in some cases for this loss (Kshetri 44). The global Ransomware attack in the year 2017 was an expensive series of attacks targeting various companies around the globe. It paralyzed millions of computers and raised its cost to almost 5 billion globally. Ransomware for example used to claim US$1077 per victim, followed by a massive downtime for many systems which cost the world a lot (Min, and Seung 38). It exceeded a billion dollars in just four days, spiking every nation in Japan to invest better in response to the attack. Due to this trend, the US government predicted that cybercrimes will rise to as much as 3 trillion dollars in cost by the year 2021 (Min, and Seung 38).
Government Measures and Private Initiatives
To counter this threat, the government of Japan is taking various measures seriously. First, it has been discovered that there is a shortage of 80,000 cyber specialists in Japan (Min, and Seung 38). May citizens are less informed about cybersecurity because they are exposed to basic computer programing only at the university level. It is, therefore, raising a generation of computer literate people from an early age to enable them to beat cyber terrorists at their own game. Secondly, it has set up a cyber-security studies center where the training can occur efficiently. Thirdly, Japan has been joined under the cybersecurity umbrella of the United States to protect it military, intelligent and other defense mechanisms from being illegally accessed (Min, and Seung 38). Regular updates of government systems' security feature, anti-malware, and physical security are also being enhanced. Finally, the government of Japan is collaborating with private entities in the war against cyber terrorism. This has aided in system testing, discovery of system weaknesses and overall domestic growth in cybersecurity.
Private Companies and the Economy
Private companies have also been on the frontline in ensuring the safety of their computer systems and data. Due to the ever-present threat of cyber-attack, every Japanese company is quick to regulate access of their computer systems, update and maintenance of software protection (antivirus) and hire the best services there are in cybersecurity (Burton 17). This is more emphasized on car security and credit card identity thefts, which are common crimes in Japan. As the country prepares to host the 2020 Olympics, it aims to double its domestic cybersecurity at a value of 321.7 billion Yen (Christou 22). Its aim is to ensure that the country is safe from any sort of attack whatsoever. It is due to this that the cabinet approved the Second Japanese Cybersecurity strategy, outlining various measures to ensure success.
Mobile Phone and Online Security
Many business transactions nowadays occur through a mobile phone. Many banks accounts can be accessed through a bank application, and this has not been spared by cyber terrorists either (Christou 22). This can be classified under identity theft, as most, an attack can only bode through stealing of the gadget commerce has also received a significant blow, with online businesses being targeted frequently (Burton 17). Cybersecurity has hence been classified under the drivers of the economy, and the government of Japan can be said to be exploring every available option to address this issue effectively before the Olympic Games which will be held in the country in 2020. Admitting the scale of its problem and partnering with other nations and private companies in this fight is a prudent move towards effective management of this problem.
Works Cited
Burton, Joe. "Cyber-attacks and maritime situational awareness evidence from Japan and Taiwan." Cyber Situational Awareness, Data Analytics, and Assessment (CyberSA), 2016 International Conference On. IEEE, 2016.
Christou, George. "The EU's Approach to Cybersecurity." (2017).
Dewar, Robert S. "The "triptych of cybersecurity": A classification of active cyber defense." Cyber Conflict (CyCon 2014), 2014 6th International Conference On. IEEE, 2014.
Kshetri, Nir. "Japan's Changing Cybersecurity Landscape." IEEE Computer 47.1 (2014): 83-86.
Luiijf, Eric, Kim Besseling, and Patrick De Graaf. "Nineteen national cybersecurity strategies." International Journal of Critical Infrastructures 6 9.1-2 (2013): 3-31.
Min, Kyoungsik, and Seung-Woan Chai. "An Analytic Study of Cyber Security Strategies of Japan." International Journal of Security and Its Applications 10.10 (2016): 37-46.
Tsuchiya, Motohiro. "Cybersecurity of financial sectors in Japan, South Korea, and China." Managing Cyber Risk in the Financial Sector: Lessons from Asia, Europe, and the USA. Taylor and Francis Inc., 2016.
Tsuchiya, Motohiro. "Japan's Response to Cyber Threats in the Surveillance Age." Whitehead J. Dipl. " Int'l Rel. 17 (2015): 7.
Yamanoue, Takashi, Noboru Nakamichi, and Kunihiko Kaneko. "Enhancing Campus Cyber Security through a Class with Combination of Computer Ethics Videos and Logical Thinking." Proceedings of the 2016 ACM on SIGUCCS Annual Conference. ACM, 2016.
