Japan is forming a special team to use artificial intelligence (AI) to simulate cyberattacks and test internet security systems, aiming to identify and fix vulnerabilities before malicious actors can exploit them.
Japanese Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa announced the initiative on Friday, saying the goal was to detect weaknesses in technological systems and address them to prevent potential cyberattacks.
Websites operated by government and private organisations worldwide went offline this week following the disclosure of serious security vulnerabilities in PHP. Hackers made hundreds of thousands of attempts to exploit the flaws, prompting many website operators to strengthen their security measures. Some temporarily shut down their systems as a precaution.
SoftBank, Japan’s third-largest mobile phone operator, has temporarily suspended its emergency alert delivery system while it works to fix the security vulnerabilities. As a result, customers will not receive early warnings about earthquakes, tsunamis and other disasters through that system during the suspension. The company said, however, that earthquake alerts remain available through alternative services.
Japan frequently experiences natural disasters and is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries. Meanwhile, Typhoon Champi is moving towards the southern Okinawa region.
SoftBank, which has more than 30 million smartphone subscribers, said customers could continue receiving earthquake alerts through services including a Yahoo app.
Speaking on Friday, Akazawa said even a single weakness in a security system could allow attackers to succeed.
“Attackers can succeed through just one weak point in a security system. For that reason, we need to change the way we think and look at the issue from the attackers’ perspective,” he said.
He added that those responsible for protecting systems must also use AI and take preventive action to stay ahead of potential attackers.
“Those responsible for security must also use artificial intelligence and take action in advance so that they can remain one step ahead of attackers,” Akazawa said.
However, Nobuo Miwa, head of Tokyo-based cybersecurity firm S&J Corporation, criticised the government’s response as too slow.
“It is like trying to fight a bomber aircraft with a bamboo spear,” he said.
This week, websites providing banking, airline, railway, tax and government services were temporarily taken offline in locations ranging from Tokyo to Helsinki, Finland. The disruptions have become a major test of the security of technologies that have kept the internet running for decades.
Japanese brokerage firm Nomura, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, airline ANA and East Japan Railway temporarily suspended some online services. Japan’s Ministry of Finance, National Tax Agency and meteorological agency also halted certain online services.
East Japan Railway said on Friday that some services operated by its group had resumed. Other services would be restored after their safety had been confirmed.
Paint manufacturer Nippon Paint said it had installed security patches as a precautionary measure, allowing its website to resume operations.
Eva Chen, chief executive officer of cybersecurity firm Trend Micro, said Japanese companies could be targets for cybercriminals because they hold extensive amounts of detailed information. She added that AI had also reduced language barriers that previously limited cyber operations.
In her view, Japanese organisations had become overly confident in the security of their existing technological systems.
Cybersecurity experts say AI is enabling attackers to automate a wide range of tasks, from identifying software vulnerabilities to generating deceptive messages. These capabilities are making cybercrime faster, cheaper and more difficult to detect.
PHP, like HTML and Python, is a widely used programming language involved in building websites. Its developers released fixes on Wednesday for security vulnerabilities that had remained in the software for several years.
The flaws were identified with the help of artificial intelligence, and developers have urged users to update their software promptly.
