ects is PRACTICE (the Proactive Response Against Cyber-attacks Through International Collaborative Exchange), a research project into technologies that provide early detection of signs of a cyber attack and initiate responses. The project, which ran until FY 2015,

Part 2

was an international collaboration, involving the United States and ASEAN nations. Another project is NECOMA (the Nippon-European Cyberdefense-Oriented Multilayer threat Analysis), a joint research project with Europe to enhance recoverability after a cyber attack.

### 5. Establishing barrier-free information environments

MIC runs a subsidy program to promote the development and provision of communications and broadcasting services for people with challenges, with the goal of eliminating the digital divide for older people and people with physical and mental challenges. Under the program, MIC assists with necessary funds for enterprises or other organizations developing or providing communications and broadcasting services to people with physical disabilities (such as phone-relay services for hearing-impaired people).

To promote the greater use of broadcasts for people with vision and hearing impairments, MIC established the Guidelines for Government Administration to Promote Broadcasts for the Vision and Hearing Challenged.

### 6. Developing ICT personnel

## (1) Promoting education in programming

Educating people who can take the reins in the IoT era is important. MIC, in partnership with related ministries, agencies, and organizations, has decided to implement the Program to Promote Youth Programming Education. The Program will expand programming education, from initiatives to have children understand the significance of the programming that is all around them to more expansive initiatives.

## (2) Raising ICT literacy

MIC takes actions for the safe and secure use of the Internet by children in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology and communications organizations. The Ministry runs e-Net Caravans, a series of rotating lectures given across the country to guardians, teachers, and juvenile students.

### 7. Developing cloud services

## (1) ASP-SaaS-Cloud Promotion Council

To promote the expansion of ASP, SaaS, and the cloud, MIC, at the ASP-SaaS-Cloud Spread Promotion Council, which was established jointly with the ASP-SaaS-Cloud Consortium (ASPIC), is examining issues of concern when providing and using ASP, SaaS, and cloud services for the social capital field and other fields.

## (2) Promoting regional ICT investment making use of the cloud and other technologies

MIC launched the Study Group on Promoting Region-The Guidelines set targets for the percentage of closed captioned broadcasts and broadcasts with audio commentary so that people with vision and hearing impairments can readily obtain information via broadcasts. MIC also encourages voluntary efforts by private TV broadcasters and assists with the production fees for closed captioned programming and programming with audio commentary.

Furthermore, to promote universal usage conditions, MIC issued guidelines on the operation of public websites in April 2016 to make it easier for everyone, including older people and people with physical and mental challenges, to use the websites of public institutions.

Additionally, it develops and disseminates teaching materials and other resources tailored to the characteristics of different media formats to encourage the sound use of media by children.

MIC developed the Internet Literacy Assessment Indicator for Students (ILAS) in FY 2011 as a test to ascertain accurately the Internet literacy levels among young people. MIC has been using the test on first-year high school students across Japan since FY 2012. For FY 2015, some questions were revised, and, with the large increase in participating schools and students, a questionnaire on the use of smartphones and ICT devices was conducted together with the test measuring the Internet literacy levels of young people. The results of the questionnaire were tabulated and analyzed and were released in November 2015 as the FY 2015 Youth Internet Literacy Indicators.

al ICT Investment Using the Cloud in January 2015 to examine specific measures to further advance ICT investments that help revitalize local regions. The Study Group put together a report in July 2015.

The report recommended the establishment of a promotion framework that seeks to revitalize local regions and increase productivity and profitability by switching businesses over to cloud services. In December 2015, eight private enterprises that concur with this recommendation set up the Organization for Cloud Utilization and ICT Investment by local enterprises.