Who hacked the mail of the Japanese cybersecurity center and why does he need it?
An organization responsible for Japan's national cybersecurity was exposed to a hacker attack that went undetected for nine months. Government and private sector sources say a Chinese group may be behind the hack.
The disclosure of the incident coincided with a period when Japan is actively developing military cooperation with America and other regional allies. Now experts from the United States and Great Britain fear that the state will not have enough resources to ensure the complete security of classified data.
The National Center for Incident Preparedness and Cybersecurity Strategy (NISC) announced a possible leak of email correspondence from October 2022 to June 2023. According to experts, attackers could have hacked the system through the account of one of the employees. The organization has already warned its partners in Japan and other countries about the potential threat.
NISC is part of the Cabinet Office, and its headquarters are located in the same building in central Tokyo. Analysts conducted an investigation to find out whether hackers could have gained access to other highly sensitive government servers and information of national importance. The official then stated that only NISC's own email data was compromised.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry rejected the accusations and suggested that Japan should pay attention to the United States as a country known for its espionage machinations against its allies. However, many researchers believe otherwise. For example, one source close to the government says: "There is always a small element of doubt, but given the style of attack and the choice of target, it is almost certain that we are talking about a hacker acting in the interests of the state. Most likely, this state is China, " the source said.
Probably, the lack of qualified personnel prevents the government from strengthening protective measures. At the end of March, Japan's Cyber Self — Defense Force numbered only about 900 people, compared to more than 6,200 in the United States and at least 30,000 in China.
The NISC incident casts doubt on the country's ability to effectively counter cyber threats. The allies see this as a signal to reconsider their foreign policy strategies.
An organization responsible for Japan's national cybersecurity was exposed to a hacker attack that went undetected for nine months. Government and private sector sources say a Chinese group may be behind the hack.
The disclosure of the incident coincided with a period when Japan is actively developing military cooperation with America and other regional allies. Now experts from the United States and Great Britain fear that the state will not have enough resources to ensure the complete security of classified data.
The National Center for Incident Preparedness and Cybersecurity Strategy (NISC) announced a possible leak of email correspondence from October 2022 to June 2023. According to experts, attackers could have hacked the system through the account of one of the employees. The organization has already warned its partners in Japan and other countries about the potential threat.
NISC is part of the Cabinet Office, and its headquarters are located in the same building in central Tokyo. Analysts conducted an investigation to find out whether hackers could have gained access to other highly sensitive government servers and information of national importance. The official then stated that only NISC's own email data was compromised.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry rejected the accusations and suggested that Japan should pay attention to the United States as a country known for its espionage machinations against its allies. However, many researchers believe otherwise. For example, one source close to the government says: "There is always a small element of doubt, but given the style of attack and the choice of target, it is almost certain that we are talking about a hacker acting in the interests of the state. Most likely, this state is China, " the source said.
Probably, the lack of qualified personnel prevents the government from strengthening protective measures. At the end of March, Japan's Cyber Self — Defense Force numbered only about 900 people, compared to more than 6,200 in the United States and at least 30,000 in China.
The NISC incident casts doubt on the country's ability to effectively counter cyber threats. The allies see this as a signal to reconsider their foreign policy strategies.
