On Friday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said it had strengthened maritime cybersecurity through a partnership with its counterpart in Japan.
From Aug. 21-22, DHS and the Government of Japan conducted a tabletop exercise that simulated a major cyber incident impacting operations at a Japanese port. The incident tested response policies and procedures, as well as furthered conversations between the United States and Japan on enhancing mutual preparedness for threats to interconnected critical infrastructure.
“Exercises like these bolster our nation’s capabilities and establish reliable channels for coordination with key international partners,” Under Secretary for Policy Robert Silvers said. “Cyberattacks pose a shared risk, beyond any single nation’s control, making it imperative for the United States and Japan to collaborate in addressing these challenges to thrive in such interconnected environments.”
Officials said the joint exercise builds on DHS’s priorities to enhance close cooperation with its partner organizations in the Indo-Pacific region, and encourage discussion about protocols for incident response, information sharing, and future bilateral cooperation. The efforts, officials said, will help both countries more effectively mitigate cyber threats.
“Malicious cyber actors recognize ports worldwide possess the same critical vulnerabilities and are increasingly willing to target them,” Admiral Linda Fagan, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, said. “Coordinating together to share risk information, improving operational coordination between incident responders, and building our collective capacity to withstand the targeting of port infrastructure is a necessary step to safeguard the global maritime system.”