Topic IV: Dealing with Cyber-attacks

As well as working to clarify the true state of cyber-attack cases, police are also endeavoring to prevent damage due to cyber-attacks.

As the Internet becomes an established part of social infrastructure essential to citizens' lifestyles and socioeconomic activities, incidences of cyber-attack against Japan's administrative agencies and private businesses, etc. are occurring. In particular, threats such as cyber-terrorism attacks that disable the functions of critical systems in key infrastructure and paralyze social functions, and cyber-intelligence activities using information and communications technologies are issues that can affect public safety and national security.

## (1) Structure within the Police

Police are promoting comprehensive cyber-attack countermeasures by establishing a cross-departmental structure consisting of personnel from departments such as security, community safety, and info-communications within the NPA and prefectural police/prefectural info-communications departments.

In addition, technological units named “Cyberforce”, established in every regional police bureau to provide the technological foundation for cyber-attack countermeasures, are implementing technological support for the prefectural police. Furthermore, the Cyberforce Center, established in the NPA to act as the control tower for the cyberforces nationwide, is operating under a 24-hour system, and is engaged in maintaining a predictive understanding of cyber-terrorism, analyzing and providing gathered information, analyzing malware attached to targeted e-mail, and issuing instructions to cyberforces as well as other activities.

Cyberforce Center

## 1 ) Status

(2) Promoting Cyber-Terrorism Countermeasures

To date, Japan has not experienced any damage due to cyber-terrorism such as social disruption caused by a cyber-attack targeting the critical systems of key infrastructure. However, there have been cyber-attacks on websites of government agencies, etc. that have interfered with browsing and other functions.

Case: In September 2011, major chat-sites in China such as “YY Chat” called on people to mount a cyber-attack on the occasion of the $ 80^{th} $ anniversary of the Manchurian Incident, and in what are considered related cyber-attacks, browsing interference occurred on the National Personnel Authority/Cabinet Office websites and the websites of numerous private organizations were defaced.

Attack tools distributed over the Internet

## 2 ) Countermeasures

In order to prevent cyber-terrorism and to deal accurately with incidents when they occur, the police are pressing forward with various efforts such as coordination with key infrastructure businesses.

i) Information Provision through Door-to-Door Visits

Police are visiting every key infrastructure business, etc. separately to provide information on cyber-terrorism threats and information security, and are also requesting that they provide prompt reports to police when an incident occurs.

Cyber-Terrorism and Key Infrastructure

## Cyber terrorism

Electronic attack on critical systems of key infrastructure

○ Major impairment of function in critical systems of key infrastructure that is highly likely to have been caused by electronic attack

## Key infrastructure

Infrastructure in the various fields of information and communication, finance, aviation, railways, electricity, gas, government/administrative services (incl. local public authorities), healthcare, water services and logistics