Japan’s preparedness in defending its energy infrastructure against cyber attacks remains low and the issue will only become more urgent as the country moves to a clean energy economy, industry experts warn.

Toshiba, a major supplier of nuclear equipment and other energy infrastructure, last month became the latest Japanese firm to reveal that its systems had been hacked amid a dramatic surge in ransomware attacks against the nation’s companies in the last 18 months. Toshiba’s adversary was DarkSide, the same group that committed the high-profile takedown of Colonial Pipeline, the largest pipeline for refined fuel products in the U.S.

Because of digitalization and increased remote connectivity, power grids and other crucial areas of the energy industry are increasingly vulnerable to cyber attack. So far, Japan is viewed as not having done enough to strengthen energy security and protect its grid and other infrastructure against malignant criminal and state actors.

Growing concerns in Japan
While the Colonial attack grabbed global headlines, a recent swell in cyber attacks in Japan has gone largely unnoticed. …