TOKYO (Web Desk) - Japan plans to seek earlier access to information about undisclosed software vulnerabilities from US artificial intelligence developers and other overseas technology firms as it strengthens its defences against rising cyberattacks, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Thursday.
The government is expected to present an emergency cybersecurity package at a ministerial meeting that could be convened as early as Friday, the report said.
In late October, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi instructed officials to develop measures to bolster cyber defences following a recent increase in attacks, according to Nikkei.
Government and corporate websites in several countries were disrupted in October after critical vulnerabilities were disclosed in PHP, a programming language that underpins much of the internet. The disclosure prompted millions of hacking attempts and forced website operators to protect or temporarily shut down their systems.
Japan has said it would establish a team to simulate cyberattacks using artificial intelligence to identify weaknesses in technology systems.
Tokyo will also explore ways to obtain information about serious software vulnerabilities before they are publicly disclosed, allowing government agencies and operators of critical infrastructure to respond more quickly, Nikkei reported.
Japan had recently sought expanded access to advanced AI models from major US developers, including Anthropic and OpenAI, in response to a wave of cyberattacks believed to have been aided by AI, the newspaper added.