On October 9, Masaaki Taira, head of the Liberal Democratic Party’s cybersecurity strategy headquarters, declared Japan in a state of emergency in cyberspace. A wave of attacks has disrupted more than 20 companies across transport, retail, finance, and cloud services. Japan’s computer emergency response center found that attackers used AI to scan for vulnerabilities and strike through APIs.
Japan is responding on two fronts. Since October 1, authorities have been able to access and neutralize servers used in serious cyberattacks, with final authorization resting with an independent oversight commission. On October 23, the government announced a team that will use AI to simulate attacks and find weaknesses before attackers do. The same week, flaws in PHP that had stayed hidden for years until AI uncovered them forced banks, airlines, rail operators, and government agencies to suspend online services. SoftBank suspended its earthquake and tsunami alert system.
The capability that finds a flaw can also exploit it. The question is no longer who has AI, but who can be trusted to use it. Japan has supplied half the answer: active defense under independent oversight. AIWS Trust Infrastructure supplies the other half: trust standards, independent verification, and human command over the systems that defend.
A decade ago, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe supported BGF’s Global Cybersecurity Day. The cause he backed is now Japan’s front line.
The CYDEF 2026 event in Tokyo focusing on cybersecurity, national defense, and resilience against AI-driven attacks. Photo: Defensehere