Countering attacks on computer networks has become an important security issue for governments. On July 15, the U.S. Defense Department announced a strategy to harden American computer systems against cyberattacks.
The Pentagon established U.S. Cyber Command in 2010 for daily operation and defense of its information networks. In a significant step, Washington designated cyberspace as another "operational domain" protected by the U.S. military in the same way it defends land, sea and air.
Japan's Defense Ministry in its defense white paper released on Aug. 2 said that stable utilization of "international public goods" such as oceans, outer space and cyberspace has become a new issue and stressed that cyberattacks by foreign governments or militaries could have a grave impact on national security.