The Defense Ministry is set to outsource part of its cybersecurity operations to the private sector to bypass training needs for its own staff, sources close to the ministry say.

The move comes amid intense competition with friendly and other nations to develop capabilities that allow them to enter foreign systems while also addressing the growing number of cybersecurity risks Japan faces.

The ministry, which is looking to increase personnel at its cyberthreat units, will include the outsourcing plan in a midterm defense program from next April, the sources said.

It plans to hire contractors for work related to responding to cyberattacks, including analyzing malware and introducing artificial intelligence to interpret attacks, the sources said.

The ministry also plans to allow personnel from the private sector to join the Self-Defense Forces on short-term contracts at the cybersecurity units to promote personnel exchanges, they said.