Govt working on defensive cyberweapon / Virus can trace, disable sources of cyber-attacks

[InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews org>]

http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120102002799.htm

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Jan. 3, 2012

The Defense Ministry is in the process of developing a computer virus 
capable of tracking, identifying and disabling sources of cyber-attacks, 
The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

The development of the virtual cyberweapon was launched in 2008. Since 
then, the weapon has been tested in a closed network environment.

Cyberweapons are said to already be in use in countries such as the 
United States and China. However, in Japan there is no provision on the 
use of cyberweapons against external parties in existing legislation on 
foreign attacks. With this in mind, the Defense Ministry and Foreign 
Ministry have begun legislative consideration regarding the matter, 
according to sources.

The three-year project was launched in fiscal 2008 to research and test 
network security analysis equipment production. The Defense Ministry's 
Technical Research and Development Institute, which is in charge of 
weapons development, outsourced the project's development to a private 
company. Fujitsu Ltd. won the contract to develop the virus, as well as 
a system to monitor and analyze cyber-attacks for 178.5 million yen.

The most distinctive feature of the new virus is its ability to trace 
cyber-attack sources. It can identify not only the immediate source of 
attack, but also all "springboard" computers used to transmit the virus.

[...]


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