Question

What are the similarities and differences in strategies and how the U.S, UK, and Japan approaches cybersecurity??

Answer 1

US Cyber security

Small and medium business (SMBs) accounts to 45.8% of private, nonfarm GDP of the US. These are the businesses that use more innovative distribution channels, which tend to be e-commerce in recent years. The SMBs have been very accepting of the voluntary framework provided by the government for cyber security. There has been a shift towards harmonizing the cyber regulations across industries. The government ensures that businesses are not compelled to share the security metrics to third party.

The companies are being encouraged to share cyber security threat and incident data with the bodies, so that the data can be analyzed and used to build systems that can better track it.

The government is promoting companies to develop I-o-T devices that would help the industries.

There is an urge to embed cybersecurity in the DNA of the organizations, because then it is not a burden on the multi nationals.

It advises the players to take cybersecurity voluntarily, rather than just private players taking it up actively.

UK Cyber security

If we look at strategy of UK, they have learnt from the past and made changes to suit the fast changing scenario. UK realizes that in order to grow in today’s time it needs to build a digital society. This society at the same time would be prone to cyber attacks. UK has built a 5-year strategy to tackle cyber security. UK understands that cyber threats cannot be removed from the chain; they only can be reduced to a level that allows society to prosper. Quoted from cyber security strategy of 2016 “Our vision for 2021 is that the UK is secure and resilient to cyber threats, prosperous and confident in the digital world.”

The UK has been increasingly allocating budget to cyber crime units. They have launched two new innovation centers that would develop and create new methods and techniques to tackle cyber crime.

Japan Cyber security

With the Tokyo Olympics approaching in 2020 Japan is more aware of the need of cyber security. As per the second cyber security strategy Japan plans to double the size of its information security market by 2020. Japan has joined hands with the US to build more ironclad cyber security systems in collaborative manner. Japan has approached cyber security as industry specific, hence they have prioritized the industries to cover or the same; information and communication services, financial services, aviation services, railway services, electric power supply services, gas supply services, being few among them. Japan is looking at cyber security not as a cost center, but as an opportunity to create business value and companies.

Now if we try to look at the similarities in the strategies of the three nations- all of them recognize and understand the consequences of weak cyber network. All the nations are increasing the investment towards cybersecurity, creating new divisions.

Now coming to the differences-

US being one of the most advanced in this field is now looking at how cyber security can support businesses and not create a burden. It is trying to help SMBs grow and adapt the frameworks.

UK being digitally advanced has realized that they are moving towards cyber security but not at a pace that is praiseworthy. Hence they have created a 5-year plan to trace and track the progress. UK is not very aggressive in its approach though.

Japan is still trying to close in the gaps of their information security. With Tokyo Olympics it has an opportunity to showcase the world what they are capable of and mark their presence. The collaboration with US can provide the expert consulting and the aggression to move towards a better cybersecurity strategy.

References:

https://www.uschamber.com/2017cyberpriorities

https://www.statista.com/statistics/257585/small-business-gdp-and-large-business-gdp-in-the-united-states/

https://www.enisa.europa.eu

https://www.export.gov/article?id=Japan-Cyber-Security

https://researchcenter.paloaltonetworks.com/2017/05/cso-japan-aiming-close-cybersecurity-skills-gap-tokyo-2020/