Japan says China, Russia, North Korea are top cyber threats

Tokyo, Sep 27 (EFE).- Japan said Monday that China, Russia and North Korea are the main threats to its cybersecurity because they undertake hostile activities in the area.

This is reflected in Japan’s national cybersecurity strategy, in force for the next three years once the government formally ratifies it, and which has been criticized by China for considering its inclusion as a source of unfounded threats.

The document points to China as a potential cyberattack source aimed at stealing sensitive defense and advanced technology information, adding Russia is suspected of leading hostile operations for political or military purposes, the country’s special cybersecurity group said.

Government Spokesman Katsunobu Kato said Japan will resort to “forceful countermeasures through all available channels, from diplomatic to criminal procedures” to counter potential attacks, during a meeting of the working group held Monday.

The Japanese strategy also includes strengthening cooperation with its partners on cybersecurity within the framework of the “quad,” a group made up of the United States, Australia and India, as well as Japan, made in response to China’s growing geostrategic weight in Asia.

The details of the plan made public include strengthening measures against attacks on critical infrastructure such as submarine telecommunications cables and the creation of new and better protected standards for mobile phones and other devices.

Beijing said it had been identified by Tokyo as a potential source of cyber threats, something Chinese Foreign Spokesman Wang Wenbin described as “baseless slander” in July, when the Japanese strategic draft was known.

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