Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi convened the first ministerial meeting on cybersecurity on 26 October, after a series of attacks on businesses. The directions include broader support for small and medium-sized firms, consolidating information at the National Cybersecurity Office and AI-assisted simulated attack testing through the IPA agency. They also include a supply chain monitoring network and vulnerability checks of government systems with the AI Safety Institute. An emergency package, including fiscal measures, was requested for around the end of next week.

What it means: The meeting shows that cybersecurity in Japan has moved from a technical issue to a top-tier policy matter, after ransomware attacks disrupted large companies and financial organisations. The focus on small and medium-sized firms is apt, as they are often the weak link in the supply chain through which attackers reach large clients. Using AI for simulated attacks and vulnerability checks reflects recognition that attackers already automate their attacks. The reference to access and neutralisation measures points to Japan's active cyber defence framework, which lets authorities act against attackers' infrastructure. The Financial Services Agency had already sent a notice to financial institutions on 9 October. In Greece, the corresponding framework is Law 5160/2024, which transposed the NIS2 directive and imposes risk management measures and incident reporting across many sectors. For Greek businesses, especially smaller ones that supply larger organisations, the Japanese example shows that security requirements will increasingly come through contracts with their clients. It is worth preparing with basic measures such as multi-factor authentication, offline backups and an incident response plan.

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