Japan must overhaul cyber defenses against AI-driven attacks

Cyberattacks on companies and organizations have surged, causing repeated leaks of customer personal data. GMO Internet Group reported password leaks in FX customer accounts with financial damages and urgently requested the government apply "active cyber defense." Active cyber defense is a system where police and Self-Defense Forces preemptively identify and neutralize attackers, considered an exercise of self-defense in cyberspace. It targets critical infrastructure like electricity, gas, and communications, with the government judging necessity, not individual corporate requests. The government has not disclosed whether it will activate the system, which raises constitutional concerns over communications secrecy. With attacks spreading to delivery, travel, and public services, experts urge establishing a unified command center to strengthen international cooperation and coordinate ministry responses.