Worries about cyberattacks on computer systems of government organizations and private enterprises are rising after a series of such attacks on government organizations in June, for which an international hackers' group, Anonymous, hinted that it was responsible.
Still the serious nature of cyberattacks is not widely recognized in Japan. The government and the private sector need to rouse public awareness about threats from cyberattacks, hold informed discussions and take necessary measures to protect themselves against such attacks.
In late June, false information was found written into part of the state property information disclosure system of the Finance Ministry's homepage. Trouble also occurred on the homepages of the Supreme Court and the infrastructure and transport ministry. The hackers' group Anonymous carried a statement on the Internet hinting that it was responsible.