Japan to simulate cyberattacks as PHP flaws roil global internet

TOKYO, Oct 23 : Japan said on Friday it will set up a team to simulate cyberattacks using AI to identify weaknesses in technology systems as organisations scramble to curtail risks from flaws in the PHP programming language that underpins much of the internet.

Government and company websites across the world went offline this week after the disclosure of critical vulnerabilities in the widely used programming language prompted millions of hacking attempts, forcing website operators to rush to protect or temporarily shut down their systems.

Highlighting the extent of the disruption, Japanese mobile carrier SoftBank said on Friday it was suspending its emergency alert system for mobile users. That means customers will not receive early warnings for earthquakes, tsunami alerts or disaster and evacuation information as the system undergoes maintenance to address a PHP vulnerability, SoftBank said.

"An attack can succeed by getting through just one hole ... for that reason it's important we shift our mindset and think from the perspective of the attacker," Japanese industry minister Ryosei Akazawa said on Friday. 

"Defenders also need to make use of AI and respond proactively, staying one step ahead."

Emergency shutdowns this week from Tokyo to Helsinki of banking, airline, rail, tax and government services marked one of the most dramatic tests of the decades-old programming tools that keep the web running.

Companies including brokerage Nomura, lender Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, airline ANA and East Japan Railway (JR East) temporarily suspended some internet services as part of emergency measures.

Japan's Ministry of Finance, National Tax Agency and Meteorological Agency also suspended some online services.

On Friday, JR East said some group services had resumed while others would be restored once confirmed safe. Nippon Paint said it had applied a security patch as a precaution and its website is back online.

Attackers are likely targeting Japanese businesses for their thorough records, which are no longer protected by a language barrier because of AI, said Eva Chen, CEO of Trend Micro.      

Japan has been too comfortable with its existing infrastructure, which it felt was safe enough, she said.

Cybersecurity experts have said AI is helping attackers automate tasks ​from scanning for software vulnerabilities to crafting phishing campaigns, making cybercrime faster, cheaper and harder to detect.

The developers of PHP - a computing language like HTML and Python - released fixes on Wednesday for vulnerabilities that had lurked in the software for years until they were uncovered using AI. They urged users to "update immediately".