Japan to create team to simulate AI cyberattacks — Channel NewsAsia

Japan will create a team to simulate cyberattacks using artificial intelligence in order to identify vulnerabilities in technological systems. The decision was announced amid critical flaws in the PHP programming language, which this week temporarily disrupted the websites of government agencies and companies around the world.

As Channel NewsAsia reports, millions of hacking attempts were recorded after information about the vulnerabilities was disclosed. Website operators rushed to install security updates or temporarily shut down systems to reduce risks.

System suspensions in Japan

Japanese mobile operator SoftBank reported on October 23 that it was suspending its emergency alert system for mobile users. During technical work to eliminate the PHP vulnerability, customers will not receive early warnings about earthquakes and tsunamis, as well as information about natural disasters and evacuation.

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Brokerage firm Nomura, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, airline ANA and East Japan Railway temporarily restricted some internet services as part of emergency measures. Japan’s Ministry of Finance, National Tax Agency and Meteorological Agency also suspended certain online services.

AI for system protection

Japan’s Industry Minister Ryosei Akazawa said that a successful attack requires only one unprotected point, so defenders need to think from the attacker’s perspective. According to him, artificial intelligence must also be used to stay ahead of attacks.

Trend Micro CEO Eva Chen suggested that Japanese companies could be targets because of detailed records, while the language barrier for attackers is decreasing thanks to AI. PHP developers released fixes for the vulnerabilities on Wednesday and urged users to update their software immediately.