In response to escalating cyber threats, Japan is preparing a sweeping new national cybersecurity strategy set to be finalized within the year. The initiative reflects the government’s renewed urgency to safeguard both public institutions and private enterprises in the face of evolving digital attacks.
A key pillar of the new strategy is the planned migration of government communications from current public-key cryptography to advanced post-quantum cryptography. This transition is aimed at strengthening resilience against future attacks enabled by quantum computing capabilities.
The move comes after the recent enactment of Japan’s first active cyberdefense law. This legislation empowers authorities to proactively intercept and analyze foreign communications to detect and neutralize cyber threats early. Under the new law, private companies will also be required to report cyberattacks directly to the government, ensuring faster response coordination.
During a high-level cybersecurity panel meeting chaired by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, the government outlined four critical areas for reform: transforming the Cabinet’s cybersecurity center into a national command hub, fostering stronger collaboration with private industry, accelerating the development of cybersecurity talent and infrastructure, and expanding global cooperation on cyber issues.
To ease reporting burdens for businesses, the government will begin issuing standardized report formats by October and is developing a unified online system for streamlined submissions, set to launch when reporting becomes mandatory in 2027.
The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry also announced a bold objective—to triple the country’s cybersecurity workforce to 50,000 by 2030, preparing Japan to lead in the global cyber defense arena.