Japan’s Planned ‘Cyberspace Defence Force’ Is Not As Cool As It Sounds

According to Hiroshi Ito, the top man at the Lac Cyber Security Research Institute in Japan, the JSDF’s scheduled “Cyberspace Defence Force” (tentative name) will consist of 100 people and the expected increase in Japan’s IT defence network is… unfortunately, not that much.

Sadly, the world of Ghost in the Shell is still largely science fiction and there is no Public Security Section 9 to take care of things. In an interview with Japan’s Weekly Playboy (Note: Weekly Playboy is not a regional edition of the monthly US magazine), Ito admits that in cyber warfare, while numbers aren’t everything, a meager 100 would be insufficient to protect the country.

“China’s cyber forces are said to be around 400,000 including militia, and the US has 20,000. South Korea currently has 500, but that number will obviously increase. North Korea’s elite cyber forces consist of 1000 to 2000 members.” Ito explains. “You can see just how few Japan’s 100 really is. With these numbers, all they’d be able to do is protect the Ministry of Defence’s system, not the entire country.

Japan, which in the past has cultivated and image of being at the forefront of technology, is woefully unprepared on the IT defence front. Recent incidents with cyber-crime in Japan have painted a picture of just how unprepared the police are in dealing with internet related crime. Ito also points out that politics and the constant shuffling of responsibility prevents a solid foundation from being formed.

Japan better catch up with the times before a real Laughing Man shows up.

自衛隊の「サイバー空間防衛隊（仮称）」は機能するのか？[週プレNEWS]