Japan plans to launch individual talks with France, Australia, Israel and Estonia by next March to boost its ability to fight cybercrime ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, a government official said.
Starting the dialogue with the four countries, which possess advanced technology or experience in defending against cyberattacks, reflects Tokyo's desire to address the threat of terrorism and ensure security in the run-up to hosting the Summer Games, the official said Sunday.
Bolstering cooperation with the countries is also seen as a signal to China, where many cyberattacks are believed to originate, according to the official. Japan will expand cooperation with countries that "respect basic human rights and the rule of law in view of ensuring free distribution of information," the official added.
Japanese officials are expected to discuss with their counterparts issues such as detecting cyberattacks and identifying the attackers.
Also likely to be on the agenda is possible cooperation between investigative authorities and mutual exchanges of researchers well-versed in the latest technology.
Estonia's critical government infrastructure suffered massive cyberattacks in 2007. Russia was suspected of being behind the attacks. Israel is meanwhile believed to be engaged in a cyberwar against Iran.
The National Information Security Center, the Foreign Ministry, the National Police Agency and other authorities have begun similar cybersecurity talks with the United States, Britain, India and the 10 members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the official said.
On Monday, Japan and the European Union will hold a cybersecurity meeting in Tokyo to discuss the possibility of cooperation and exchanging information.
A probe by the NPA and other authorities showed that 97 percent of cyberattacks targeting domestic institutions in 2013 originated overseas, making it imperative to build international cooperation to prevent such attacks.