Current Issues of Information Security in Japanese Society

Yukihiro FURUSEVisiting Professor,

Center for Global Communications,

International University of Japan

Outline

Outlook of Information Age in Japan Analysis of ICT as Social Tools Structures of Risks With ICT Open Architecture Dilemma

Outlook of Information Age in Japan What is “Information Age?”

Key points: 1. Connectivity to the computer network, specially to the Internet. 2. Bandwidth of each person’s channel for information sending,

uploading, and broadcasting. in Japan

Year 1996 might be the taking off year to the Information Age. Explosion of WWW sites and connections.

Analysis of ICT as Social Tools

Tools Tank, Fighter

Train, Bus Private car ICT

Owner Nation Company or Nation

Citizens Citizens

Relationship with citizens

Isolated Separated Involved Involved

Based Rules

Law Law and regulation

Law (police) Almost none, and no license

Maintenance

100% by Professionals

100% by Professionals

Almost 100% by Professionals

Almost 100% by Themselves

SocializedSpecialized

Structures of Risks With ICT

Structure 1 Socialized, but not sophisticated ICT tools bring many trouble to

people. Computer virus, Spam mail, HDD’s going out of order, etc. People have to maintain the ICT tools by themselves, even it needs

specialized knowledge.

Structure 2 Efficiency based system design causes big trouble when some b

ad person operates. It seems that computer related people tend to estimate system by its

efficiency, though the damage will be bigger if the system is designed only for efficiency.

Structure of Risks With ICT

Structure 3 ICT empowers people to broadcast, publish without any license.

Even the child can publish something to the world.

Structure 4 ICT enable people to trace someone’s private action.

People have to protect by themselves with specialized knowledge.

Beyond The Risks of ICT

We have to recognize that ICT tools are socialized, but not sophisticated. Have to think about how control the ICT using people.

Law? Regulation? License?

Open Architecture Dilemma

Open architecture of PC and the Internet Reason why PC and the Internet grow rapidly. Also reason why computer virus exploded.

Dilemma at the company Information section wants to control user terminal.

Same operating system, application such as Outlook express. Users want to use them freely.

Want to install various software, but no authority…

Controlled Operation Not Controlled Operation

Closed System Low performance

No risk

Low learning costs

Low performance

Low risk

Middle learning costs

Open System Middle performance

Middle risk

Middle learning costs

High performance

High risk

High learning costs*

* It will be the big problem for us to use ICT tools if we can not stop risk and costs increase under not controlled operation with open system.