Japan risks losing trust of US, other allies over its ‘serious’ cybersecurity flaws, minister warns

Tokyo first found out about its cybersecurity weaknesses in 2020 when the US warned some Japanese cables had been breached by Chinese hackers

The government’s lack of urgency in solving the issue risks eroding trust with its Five Eyes allies, Japan’s foreign minister says

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Japan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa says a long-running cybersecurity issue threatens ties with other nations. Photo: AFP

Published: 8:00pm, 12 Feb 2024Updated: 8:22pm, 12 Feb 2024

Japan’s foreign minister has called for urgent action to bolster national cybersecurity following alerts from Washington that Tokyo’s lax defences are giving Beijing access to sensitive diplomatic communications, an issue that risks eroding trust with allies who may no longer trust the Japanese government with their secrets.

Speaking to a hearing of the Diet Budget Committee on Thursday, Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa acknowledged that a long-running cybersecurity problem threatens relations with other nations out of concern that sensitive data could fall into the hands of China.

“Information security is an extremely important foundation for promoting information-sharing and strengthening cooperation with the United States and other relevant countries,” the Yomiuri newspaper quoted Kamikawa as telling the Diet committee.

“Enhancing our capabilities to address cybersecurity is a very serious matter,” she added.

Japan was first alerted to a breach in its diplomatic cables in the summer of 2020, when officials were briefed on the matter by General Paul Nakasone of the US National Security Agency (NSA).

US Cyber Command Commander General Paul Nakasone. Photo: AP

The US government warned Tokyo that computer networks linking government ministries and diplomatic missions overseas had been breached by Chinese hackers. Japan was apparently not aware of the breach until informed by the US, which declined to provide information on how it learned of the attacks.