Japan to Bolster Threat Hunting for Critical Infrastructure Systems

Tokyo, October 4 (Jiji Press) - The Japanese government intends to enhance threat hunting initiatives in collaboration with the private sector starting in fiscal year 2027, with the aim of identifying and detecting cyberattacks on critical infrastructure systems managed by entities such as power utilities and telecommunications providers.

To achieve this, the government will devise methodologies for identifying cyber threats and subsequently share these findings with private sector companies, thereby mitigating the risk of infrastructure disruptions during emergencies. Threat hunting, which involves actively searching for concealed threats within systems, is considered one of the essential components of proactive cybersecurity measures.

Legislation pertaining to this approach became effective on Thursday. The National Cybersecurity Office, within the Japanese government, will utilize specific data on potential threats to simulate cyberattacks in a controlled virtual environment. This will enable the development and testing of effective threat detection techniques that can be implemented by private sector entities.

Additionally, the Defense Ministry will extend direct support, which may include dispatching personnel to critical infrastructure operators upon request, leveraging its established threat-hunting capabilities honed through the Self-Defense Forces' information systems. Both the National Cybersecurity Office and the Defense Ministry have incorporated associated expenses into their respective budget proposals for fiscal year 2027.