Japan PM Takaichi Vows Strategic Use of Active Cyber Defense

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi vowed on Monday to implement cybersecurity measures strategically, keeping open the option of using active cyber defense to prevent major attacks before they occur. The statement came at the first cabinet meeting on cybersecurity in Tokyo. Takaichi said the government will select and implement all available response options, including access and neutralization measures, following a string of personal information breaches at Japanese companies. She instructed ministers to compile emergency measures as early as next week, including fiscal discussions. The meeting, chaired by Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara, included Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, and cybersecurity minister Toshiharu Furukawa. Takaichi also called for bolstering consultation programs for affected firms and cooperation with allies.