Communications of the ACM
Japanese Govt Working on Defensive Cyberweapon
Fujitsu is developing a cyber weapon, as well as a system to monitor and analyze cyber attacks, under a contract worth approximately $2.3 million.
Credit: Hyperborean Vibrations
Researchers at Japan's Defense Ministry are developing a computer virus that can track, identify, and disable sources of cyberattacks. Since the launch of the virtual cyberweapon three-year project in 2008, it has been tested in a closed network environment.
The Defense Ministry's Technical Research and Development Institute recently outsourced the project to Fujitsu, which is developing the virus as well as a system to monitor and analyze cyberattacks. One of the most promising features of the virus is its ability to trace cyberattack sources, as it can identify the immediate source of attack and the computers used to transmit the virus. The researchers say the program can identify the source of a cyberattack to a high degree of accuracy for distributed denial-of-service attacks, as well as some attacks aimed at stealing information stored in target computers.
Although the Defense Ministry says the program was developed strictly for defensive uses, analysts say using the cyberweapon could violate Japanese law that bans virus production. However, Keio University professor Motohiro Tsuchiya says the weapon's legal definition should be reconsidered because other countries have launched similar projects.
From Daily Yomiuri
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