More focus on cyberwarfare/defense

https://breakingdefense.com/2025/09...developing-new-defensive-cyber-campaign-plan/
AFA 2025 — The Air Force’s primary cyber unit is developing a new strategy to better synchronize the work of different groups of cyber defenders, with a particular focus on critical infrastructure and networks, according to the unit’s commander.

“Prior to this, we’ve always kind of looked at them [cybersecurity teams] in separate missions, but they’re really doing the same thing in a different way. We want to harmonize that better,” Lt. Gen. Thomas Hensley, commander of 16th Air Force, said during a panel presentation at the annual Air and Space Forces Association conference at National Harbor, Md.

Currently, cyber defense missions are undertaken by at least two different sets of teams. There are the local defenders, known as cybersecurity service providers or CSSPs, which perform persistent defense of systems. Then there are cyber protection teams, defensive teams focused on hunting adversaries within the network. They have been described as cyber SWAT teams that have specialized kits to eradicate adversary intrusions on networks.

The move for greater harmonization between the two groups, a spokesperson for the 16th said, came out of work the 16th has already done on what they called “mission thread defense.” That refers to an overarching strategy and process flow of information and focuses on protecting critical operational sequences that can span multiple systems and components — to include hardware, software, open vulnerabilities programmable logic controllers, data dependencies, sub systems and architecture.

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https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/politics/defense-security/20260305-314757/
Participants in a Tokyo forum agreed on the importance of protecting critical infrastructure — which is essential for maintaining a nation’s functions, such as power and communications — from cyberattacks, drawing lessons from warfare in Ukraine and Iran.

The Japanese government plans to fundamentally strengthen public-private partnerships based on new cyber defense-related legislation that will fully go into effect by 2027.

Former U.S. National Cyber Director Chris Inglis praised Ukraine for enduring Russia’s invasion with strong and resilient infrastructure at an international forum held by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation and The Yomiuri Shimbun on Wednesday.

“Most of us in government jobs at the time that the Ukraine war started thought that Ukraine would fight hard and well, but that they wouldn’t last for more than weeks or months, and yet, here we are, four years later. They’re not simply continuing to fight on the physical battlefield, but they’ve done quite well on the cyber battlefield,” Inglis said.

“A lot of private-sector entities are providing resilient, robust infrastructure and defending that infrastructure as the various assaults take place from the Russians,” he added.

Russia is believed to have infiltrated Ukraine’s power and communications systems before starting the invasion in February 2022 to stage a “hybrid attack” combining military forces with cyber operations.

In recent U.S. military attacks on Iran starting on Feb. 28, one of the initial operations involved cyberattacks to degrade Iran’s communications capabilities.

Shigeru Kitamura, who formerly served as Japan’s National Security Secretariat secretary general, said the United States must have thoroughly gathered information on Iran’s communications and other systems. “It seems that Washington employed tactics of identifying Iran’s key systems through intelligence activities, to be able to threaten them,” Kitamura said.

Japan is not immune to such threats. Mihoko Matsubara, chief cybersecurity strategist at NTT Corp., said hacker group Volt Typhoon, believed to be backed by the Chinese government, has attempted “cyberattacks that appear to be a prelude to a Taiwan contingency.” Volt Typhoon is said to have infiltrated communications systems in Guam, where U.S. forces are based.

Jiro Hiroe, a former lieutenant general in the Ground Self-Defense Force and now head of GMO Internet Group, Inc.’s Cyber Defense Business Promotion Office, said, “If you lose in cyberspace, the fifth battlefield following land, sea, air and space, you cannot win [the war].”

15 critical infrastructure sectors​

The Japanese government also recognizes the importance of infrastructure protection. Legislation related to so-called active cyber defense enacted last year promotes strengthening public-private partnerships. The government designated 15 sectors of critical infrastructure, including power and telecommunications, as the main targets to be defended. It will launch a public-private council with related businesses as early as October. The council will share sensitive government information, such as the latest cyberattack means and undisclosed vulnerabilities of information technology products, to step up relevant preparation.

“I still remember the moment when I felt afraid, wondering what would happen next,” said another panelist, Hisahiro Tatsushiro, president of logistics systems company Kantsu Co. in Amagasaki, Hyogo Prefecture, recalling the moment systems went down at his firm in a cyberattack in 2024.

Kantsu’s distribution warehouses were totally paralyzed after being hit by a cyberattack that used ransomware, which is malware sent by attackers who demand money in exchange for restoring data. The company also lost accounting and inventory data, suffering total damages of ¥1.7 billion. Tatsushiro said 1,000 workers had to work for 50 days to manually restore the inventory data on 150 million items.

He stressed that establishing alternative systems capable of swift recovery from damages is paramount.

The public-private council is expected to share detailed information on cyberattack damages reported in the country.

Jun Osawa, senior fellow at Sasakawa Peace Foundation, said, “When power shuts off, communications stop. When communications are disrupted, financial systems break down. We need to take into account the chain reaction of damage to infrastructure.”
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Foreign governments may will also see employees of companies participating in the new hacking program who travel abroad as legitimate targets for detention or questioning, Wysopal said.
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Vaisala launches cybersecure offshore weather station for navy, coast guard, offshore, icebreakers and research fleets​

https://www.navalnews.com/naval-new...ard-offshore-icebreakers-and-research-fleets/
Offshore operations depend on reliable weather and sea-state intelligence. From helidecks and bridge teams to remote operations centers, safety and uptime depend on data that is always available, trusted, and easy to use. Vaisala’s Maritime Automatic Weather Station AWS830 is a new cybersecure, modular offshore weather station built for the maritime industry’s toughest fleets: naval, coast guard, research, offshore and icebreaking vessels operating in the harshest maritime conditions.
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