Japan must accelerate cyberdefense strategy, former NSA director says

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry reported that the country only had 24,000 registered cybersecurity specialists in 2025. In contrast, an estimate puts the U.S. as having more than 1.3 million. | REUTERS

Oct 29, 2026

Japan’s cyberdefense strategy must be fast-tracked if the country is to protect itself from the barrage of cyberattacks that have wreaked havoc in recent months, says Michael Rogers, a former commander of the U.S. Cyber Command and ex-director of the National Security Agency.

In an interview with The Japan Times on Wednesday, Rogers praised the Japanese government’s policy on cyberdefense — and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s apparent prioritization of the issue — but warned that having a good plan in writing is only valuable if turned into prompt and decisive action.

“The processes and the policies put in place are a very good foundation, but they also reflect a world and a time that was slightly different than it is now,” Rogers said of Japan’s gradual rollout of cyberdefense legislation. “I think you have to accelerate the pace, and you have to be willing to make some changes.”

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