minated their services to approximately 300,000 lines used by unknown subscribers.

## 2 Promotion of measures for information security and privacy protection

## (1) Information security measures of the government

The government has been promoting information security measures by establishing “the National Information Security Center (NISC)” in the Cabinet Secretariat in April 2005 as the core organization to implement information security measures, and “the Information Security Policy Council” (chairman: Cabinet Secretary) in the IT Strategic Headquarters in May 2005.

## (2) Realization of an environment for safe and secure use of the Internet

An improvement in information security is essential to promote ICT society in the future. Based on the efforts in information security measures of the government and the discussions at “the Security Working Group of the Study Group on Next Generation IP Infrastructure” which was established in December 2004, MIC has been making efforts to reinforce information security measures from three viewpoints: “network”, “users”, and “facilities”.

## (3) Ensuring important communications in the telecommunications services

There are growing needs to develop an effective system to ensure important communications in cases of emergency such as disasters in cooperation between the government, telecommunications carriers, and industry in order to response to the development of telecommunications services and diversification in the usage patterns along with the diffusion of mobile and IP phones. Responding to such facts, MIC had held “the Study Group for Ensuring Important Telecommunications in the Telecommunications Business” since April 2002, and the Study Group compiled a report in July 2003. Based on the recommendations in the report, subsequent major efforts by mobile carriers were released in January 2005 and in December of the same year.

## (4) Promotion of safety evaluation and advancement of cryptographic technology

The CRYPTOREC (Cryptography Research and Evaluation Committee) by study groups co-hosted by MIC and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, continues to monitor e-government recommended ciphers, and to study, research, and set standards to ensure the safety and reliability of the e-government recommended ciphers in fiscal 2006. In addition, it promotes discussions on response procedures and implementation systems in the case that e-government recommended ciphers become uncertain.

## (5) Protection of personal information in the information and communication field

With respect to protection of personal information in the all areas comprehensively, the Act on the Protection of Personal Information was promulgated in May 2003 and has been fully enforced since April 2005. In order to strictly implement appropriate handling of personal information, in August 2004, MIC revised again “Guidelines on the Protection of Personal Information in the Telecommunications Business” which had been compiled in 1991 and revised in 1998. The Ministry also formulated “the Guidelines concerning Protection of Personal Information of Broadcasting Receiver”. These guidelines have been applied since April 2005.

## 3 Efforts to ensure the reliability of electronic data

In order to further promote socio-economic activities using the network such as e-commerce by ensuring a smooth use environment for electronic signatures, “the Act on Electric Signatures and Certification Services” was enforced in April 2001. By the Law, optional certification systems by the government were introduced to authentication services which satisfy certain standards.

As of the end of fiscal 2005, 19 specific authentication services had been accredited.

## 4 Development of radio use environment

## (1) Protection of the human body from health effects from radio wave exposure

The former Telecommunication Technology Council compiled “Radio-Radiation Protection Guidelines” to create an environment where people in Japan can use radio frequencies safely and securely and introduced regulations based on the Guidelines, which included basic principles to judge whether the radio frequencies were within a safe range, not causing undesirable effects on human health, and reference levels based on the principles.

## (2) Measures against unnecessary radio frequencies

MIC has established the CISPR Committee within the Information and Communications Council to contribute to formulation of international standards of the Comité International Spécial des Perturbations Radioélectriques (CISPR) and has formulated national standards, while seeking consistency with the international standards of the CISPR. In fiscal 2005, the national standards were set forth to add the limits and methods of measurement of radio disturbance characteristics of electrical lighting and similar equipment in the frequency range 150kHz or below.