The government has written the final draft of a cyber security strategy. It plans to officially adopt the strategy in June after receiving public comments on the proposal. The draft calls for analysis of communications content by telecommunication carriers if necessary, the establishment of a cyber defense unit within the Self-Defense Forces and the establishment of a cyber security center within the government in 2015 as the nation's highest-level organization to deal with cyber attacks, which include the theft and destruction of data stored in computer systems at government organizations and companies, and the paralysis and destruction of such computer systems.
The government's move to deal with cyber attacks deserves praise. But the draft's call for the analysis of communications by telecommunication carriers could impinge upon Article 21, Section 2 of the Constitution, which says that "the secrecy of any means of communication" should not be violated.
The government should proceed with utmost care to ensure that this constitutional provision is not undermined. It also should make sure that efforts by various public and private organizations to cope with cyber attacks are coordinated to maximize their effect.