Editorial
Stronger measures needed to reduce chance of cyber attacks
A recent cyber attack by South Korean Internet users on the anniversary of the independence movement under Japanese rule on March 1, 1919, severely restricted access to Japan's 2channel message board. The attack is also said to have affected other Internet users who used the same system as 2channel.
The online raid was sparked by posts on 2channel slandering Korean figure skater Kim Yu-na, who won a gold medal at the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. Angered South Korean Internet users teamed up to access the 2channel server at the same time, which brought message boards on the site to a standstill.
In what may be viewed as a counterattack, a site claiming South Korea's sovereignty over the Takeshima islets, referred to in Korean as Dokdo, was also attacked from Japan, resulting in connection problems. These kinds of cyber attacks have repeatedly been carried out, but it is regrettable that the latest incident involved the Winter Olympic Games, an event supposed to inspire us.
In another recent online assault, the e-mail system of search engine giant Google was attacked from China -- an incident that sparked friction between the U.S. and Chinese governments. The attack was orchestrated to obtain information about Chinese human rights activists, and a high level of technology was employed, raising suspicion that it was an organized endeavor.
The latest cyber attack was on a different plane from the attack on Google, but it encompasses problems that can't simply be brushed aside on the grounds that individuals were responsible: namely that 2channel's server is in the United States, and other users are said to have been affected.
Cloud computing, in which data and programs are shared over communication lines linked to a data center, is now starting to gain a foothold. Since information is not left on individual computers, the system is seen as a measure useful in countering data leaks. In addition, it only takes a short time to construct the system, and the operating costs are low.
However, it is a problem when a cyber attack against one set of users affects the work of another set of users. In the latest attack, the emotional outburst between Japan and South Korea also entangled a U.S. business.
Many services for Japanese Internet users employ U.S. and other overseas systems because it is cheaper to do so. Huge data centers are being made in places where electricity is cheap and air conditioning costs are low.
At the same time, if the rise in electricity fees in Japan is justified as a measure to shoulder the costs associated with global warming, then this may cause the Net-related information industry to drift overseas. The attack against 2channel also urges us to ponder this issue and consider countermeasures.
(Mainichi Japan) March 4, 2010