14 DAY TRIAL // A total of 21 government departments and companies have taken part in a cyber security exercise conducted by Japan ahead of the 2020 Summer Olympics that will take place in Tokyo.
According to AFP, firms in 10 business sectors have taken part in the drill, including from aviation, banking and utilities.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga has told participants that cyberattacks are becoming more and more sophisticated and it’s important that the government is prepared to handle them.
During the exercise in which 100 people took part, attacks against a number of government ministries were simulated. Participants focused not only on analyzing the attacks, the extent of the damage and gathering data, but also on sharing relevant information.
Participants were also tasked with PR activities, such as releasing statements and press releases to keep the public informed of the situation.
Cyberattacks are already a serious threat to Olympics and by 2020 who knows how much the cyber battlefield will evolve.
Japan’s Minister of Technology Policy Ichita Yamamoto noted that the country must make serious efforts before the 2020 Summer Olympics. Yamamoto has admitted that although some effort has been put into cyber security, Japan is behind the US in this area.