The Importance of Cybersecurity... US and Japan Jointly Respond to 'Ransomware'

Reported by Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun
Likely to be discussed at the US-Japan Security Consultative Committee in January

U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken (left) and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi are holding a bilateral meeting in London, UK, on May 3 (local time) during the G7 Foreign Ministers' Meeting. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] The governments of the United States and Japan are reportedly in talks to cooperate in preventing cyberattacks using ransomware, according to Japan's largest daily newspaper, Yomiuri Shimbun, on the 26th.

Ransomware is a type of malicious program that either disables system operations or encrypts data, holding it hostage to demand money or other compensation, constituting a form of cyber threat.

The United States and Japan are discussing measures to quickly share cases of damage caused by ransomware and jointly analyze issues that pose security threats. They plan to cooperate in identifying hacker groups and devising countermeasures, as well as exploring ways to enhance the defense capabilities of companies and others against ransomware attacks.

The cooperation between the two countries appears to be driven by Japan's vulnerability to cyberattacks. In this regard, Yomiuri reported that the U.S. government has been concerned about Japan's relatively low defense capabilities against cyberattacks such as ransomware. This is particularly interpreted as being mindful of potential cyberattacks from China or Russia.

Specific cooperation plans are expected to be discussed at the U.S.-Japan Security Consultative Committee (2+2 meeting) to be held in Washington next month on the 7th, attended by the foreign and defense ministers of both countries.

In a White House address to the nation on August 31 (local time), following the announcement of the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, President Joe Biden stated, "The world is changing. We are in serious competition with China and addressing Russia's challenges on multiple fronts," and highlighted cyberattacks and nuclear proliferation as major issues. He added, "In 21st-century competition, we must strengthen America's competitiveness to respond to these new challenges."