Cyberattacks are having a huge impact on peoples lives and economic activities: Japan joins list of countries turning towards offensive cyber operations

Date:
Wed, 18 Mar 2026 15:58:23 +0000

Description:
Japan has reinterpreted its constitution to allow offensive cyber operations.

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now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Japan's military will be allowed to conduct offensive cyber operations The government's decision involved a reinterpretation of the constitution Japan faces "the most complicated national security environment" since 1945 From October 1 2026, Japans Self-Defense Force will be allowed to conduct
offensive cyber-operations.

Japans government made the decision to interpret Clause 9 of the country's constitution to allow for offensive cyber-operations that pursue infrastructure used to conduct cyber attacks. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara explained in his afternoon briefing that Japan faces, the most complicated national security environment it has seen since World War II. Article continues below You may like American Power will finally stand up in cyberspace: Trump unveils new cyber strategy he says will deploy the full suite of US government defensive and offensive cyber operations Taiwanese infrastructure suffered over 2.5 million Chinese cyberattacks per day in
2025, report reveals Trumps new $900 billion Pentagon funding plan includes enhanced cybersecurity protections for Cyber Command - heres what we know Reinterpreting the constitution When Japan adopted its modern constitution in 1946, Article 9 outlawed the nations ability to participate in any military acts of aggression. As a result, the Japanese military has been known as the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) since its founding in 1954.

However, there have been several reinterpretations of Article 9, including a 2014 reinterpretation to allow the Self-Defense Forces to contribute towards and support allied actions that are combating a situation that threatens the existence of Japan.

Now, with cyberspace increasingly becoming a further platform for countries
to conduct offensive operations, Japan is once again changing its interpretation.

The decision to pursue offensive actions in cyberspace will not be the sole discretion of the JSDF. A government cyber-management committee will provide authorization on offensive cyber actions on a case-by-case basis. Are you a pro? Subscribe to our newsletter Sign up to the TechRadar Pro newsletter to get all the top news, opinion, features and guidance your business needs to succeed! Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
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This is quickly becoming a global trend. The Trump administration recently unveiled its National Cyber Strategy to provide the administration with the capacity to deploy the full suite of US government defensive and offensive cyber operations. The strategy also stated that the US will not confine [its] responses to the cyber realm, suggesting real world actions against infrastructure used to commit cyber attacks. Why are nations turning towards offensive cyber ops? Traditionally, cyber attacks committed by, or on behalf of, nation states have been for intelligence gathering purposes or for sabotage. Russia, Iran and China have been spotted probing US critical infrastructure for years, with the likely intention being supportive attacks in the outbreak of a full conflict.

Now, with AI lowering the barriers for entry into the world of cyber ,
attacks have spiked significantly. Much of our life exists in the digital world and is an attractive target for both low caliber attackers looking to make some quick money, and for nation states looking to influence elections
or cripple communications .

It is becoming clear that many countries are beginning to see offense as the best defense, especially as months long international operations to shut down online forums selling stolen data can be circumvented by simply rehosting the forum elsewhere. Targeting the real-world infrastructure appears to be a preferable choice. The best antivirus for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best antivirus 1. Best overall: Bitdefender Total Security 2. Best for families: Norton 360 with LifeLock 3. Best for mobile: McAfee Mobile Security Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

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