Malicious Cyber ??Attacks Cannot Be Ignored: Japan

Tokyo, Oct 20 (efe-epa).- Japan’s government said Tuesday that cyberattacks such as the recent one in London, which affected the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, cannot be ignored although Olympic officials said they have not seen a “significant impact.”

The Head of Cabinet and Japanese Government Spokesman Katsunobu Kato said in his daily press conference he preferred to avoid specific comments given the case’s nature.

“Malicious cyberattacks that could shake the foundations of democracy cannot be ignored,” he said.

UK authorities Monday accused Russia’s military intelligence services (GRU) of having carried out cyberattacks against Tokyo 2020, which could affect the organization of the games, logistics companies and sponsors related to them.

London said this is not the first time it has detected similar intrusions and that the GRU allegedly also carried out attacks against the organization of the Pyeongchang Winter Games in 2018.

Kato added that authorities are adopting security measures to prevent this type of cyberattack on the Olympics. taking into account that “it is an event that attracts world attention.”

“The government is promoting risk management with the service provider that supports the operation of the Olympics,” the minister added.

For its part, a spokesman for the Tokyo 2020 Organizing Committee told EFE that the institution “has been constantly reviewing various types of cyberattacks on the digital platform owned by Tokyo 2020.” adding that “no significant impact has been observed on our operations.”

The committee, according to the source, cannot specify the countermeasures it is taking to prevent such attacks, but added it will continue to work with other organizations and authorities to make sure they are implemented. EFE-EPA

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