### 2. Regional development using information and communications infrastructure

## (1) Promoting the widespread adoption of ICT best practices that help resolve regional issues

Individual regions are making various efforts to resolve the many issues Japan faces (such as a declining population, a falling birthrate and aging population, shortages of health practitioners, disaster preparedness, and decaying regional economies). MIC awards prizes to many leading examples of ICT use and application submitted by local regions that contribute to local creation. The goal of the awards is to promote the widespread adoption of ICT best practices that help resolve regional issues.

MIC received a total of 85 entries for the awards during October and November 2015 entry period. The Local computerization Award 2015 for contributions to local creation was selected from these entries.

## (2) Establishing support systems through the deployment of ICT experts directed at regional stimulation

MIC has been conducting initiatives to build up local economies and communities by making use of ICT since FY 2007. Activities include sending Regional ICT Advisors — experts with knowledge and insight into regional ICT development — to regions motivated to revive their communities through ICT, providing assistance to build success models and propagating the results of

### 3. Promoting the use of open data

MIC has been implementing the Open Data and Big Data Application Promotion Project since FY 2015. The purpose of the Project is to associate the massive amount of information (big data) existing in society and markets with open data, and thereby contribute to the realization of a society that produces innovation through enterprise activities, consumer behavior, and lifestyles. The Project

### 4. Promoting cyber security policy

## (1) Examinations of execution plans for cyber security measures

Based on the Basic Act on Cybersecurity, established in November 2014, the new Cybersecurity Strategic Headquarters was established under the Cabinet in January 2015 to act as the government's control tower for cyber security policy. After examinations by the Headquarters, the Cabinet decided the new Cyber Security Strategy in September 2015.

## (2) Strengthening cyber security policy

Since FY 2013, MIC has run CYDER (the CYber Defense Exercise with Recurrence), a hands-on cyber defense exercise that uses a large computer environment to simulate networks in an organization with thousands of employees. CYDER's purpose is to improve the cyber attack response skills of LAN administrators at government administration offices and key infrastructure enterprises.

To address the current situation where users have these efforts nationwide. MIC dispatched Regional ICT Advisors 242 times in FY 2015.

## (3) Contribution to building recovery communities through ICT infrastructure establishment and the restoration of ICT infrastructure

Of the areas struck by the Great East Japan Earthquake, the tsunami washed away or severely damaged local infrastructure in many localities. The construction of recovery communities, including relocating communities to higher ground, is going ahead based on recovery plans by local governments in affected areas, in tandem with other recovery efforts. The local governments in affected areas need to establish ICT infrastructure, including ultra-high-speed broadband, environments for receiving broadcasts, and communications infrastructure and systems for public facilities. ICT infrastructure is necessary to allow citizens to smoothly start new lives and facilitate recovery using ICT infrastructure.

MIC is implementing the ICT Infrastructure Establishment Project for Recovery Community Building in FY 2016, as a project to advance the use of ICT in regions affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. The Project assists local governments that are establishing ICT infrastructure together with new community building toward recovery.

is engaging in demonstration trials in fields like tourism and community building where needs for data application are high in the private sector. Trials are also ongoing in fields where the advantages of open data are easily transferred to local government bodies and other organizations that possess data.

problems detecting and eliminating malware infections on their own, MIC, in partnership with Internet service providers (ISPs) and security vendors, has been involved with ACTIVE (the Advanced Cyber Threats response InitiatiVE) since FY 2013. ACTIVE is a joint public-private project that prevents and eradicates Internet users' malware infections.

With respect to the IoT, the IoT Security Working Group at the IoT Acceleration Consortium, in partnership with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, started examining, in January 2016, security guidelines for the design, manufacturing, and network connection of IoT devices, with a special focus on the inherent characteristics of IoT systems. The guidelines were released in July 2016.

At the same time, since cooperation with other countries is essential to establish meaningful cyber security, MIC is advancing ties with a number of countries through specific research projects. One of these proj