Japan, a leader in commercial technology, robotics, medical studies, and artificial intelligence, is a powerhouse of scientific innovation. These accomplishments are jeopardized, but, by obsolete security measures, a quickly evolving cyber threat, and a sense of pride.
In a sustained attack that lasted until June 2023, Chinese state-backed hackers broke into Japan’s National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity ( NISC ) system in the fall of 2022. Tokyo is eager to bolster its military cooperation with the US, UK, and regional allies, so the discovery of the breach could n’t have come at a worse time.
State digital security specialists in these countries are now questioning Japan’s ability to handle data properly. 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Although it was unknown exactly what information the thieves had hacked, it is almost certain that state-funded” BlackTech” is attempting to break into the US and Japanese companies ‘ systems to gain undetected secret access. During a security advisory later in September 2023, the US National Security Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Chinese police all confirmed the re-routes.
These reversals of the Border Gateway Protocol ( BGP ) fall under the Harvest Now, Decrypt Later ( HNDL ) threat, in which malicious actors collect and store sensitive encrypted data with the intention of using powerful quantum computers to crack it later.
HNDL attacks can have disastrous effects on vital industries like funding, power, authorities, and defense. Additionally, BGP rerouting problems are not unusual.
Strangely, information from companies like Google, Amazon, and Facebook was snatched from Russia in 2020. Four years earlier, internet traffic from Canada reaching South Korea was arriving in China.
The West is gaining traction as a result of the effort to develop post-quantum cryptography ( PQC). With the passage of the Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act, which outlines the steps federal government agencies must take when adopting systems to protect against quantum technology problems, the US is leading the charge.
The speed created by this US-led policy is now being used in a number of European nations. Germany and France have invested more than$ 5 billion in research, while the UK government launched a 10-year program to invest 2.6 billion pounds ( US$ 3.3 billion ) in the sector last March.
In contrast to the US and its allies, Japan has n’t put the same effort into securing its systems with PQC, which puts US bilateral contacts in danger of a particle attack.
Japan’s urgent need to improve its overall security system is long late. By creating their own, quantum-safe by design, end-to-end system that protects Internet development, business methods, and day-to-day communications, the central government and private companies may take this opportunity to not only keep up with but leapfrog different nations.
Market-ready solutions are available: Last year, NATO adopted a Hybrid PQ VPN to protect its communications from classical attacks.
Prioritizing security should be high on Japan’s mission, not just to satisfy its allies and reclaim its position as a global development head once more, but also to maintain a tenacious modern landscape in an increasingly turbulent world.  ,
Andersen Cheng is the CEO of Post-Quantum, a security business that focuses on solutions for quantum-secure surveillance and personality. He was a founding member of LabMorgan, the Fintech1.0 investment component of JPMorgan, and was originally the COO of the Carlyle Group’s European walk account.  ,