Tokyo police to enhance cooperation among cyber-linked sections

April 2, 2018

Tokyo- Tokyo's Metropolitan Police Department has gathered sections that deal with cybercrimes and cyberattacks to a new office building in the capital to strengthen their cooperation.

The department held an opening ceremony for the office on Monday, attended by about 150 people.

"Cyberspace threats have become serious, and the need for measures to ensure safety has increased," Superintendent-General Naomasa Yoshida said.

He referred to recent incidents, such as the massive theft of NEM digital currency tokens from Japanese cryptocurrency exchange operator Coincheck Inc. in January.

The new office brought together members of six related sections, including those at the community safety, public security and criminal investigation bureaus.

According to the department, about 500 staff work at the office, including members of its cyberattack countermeasure center and criminal investigation section that focuses on serious crimes.

In the office, the cyber-linked sections will share equipment and personnel flexibly. They will also cooperate to deal with big incidents, such as cyberattacks against infrastructure operators and large-scale cybercrimes caused by computer virus.

They will also have three joint teams that concentrate on initial investigations, analysis support and special investigations, respectively. Jiji Press