Japan Holds First, Government-Sanctioned Hacking Contest

In an effort to bolster its defenses against cyber attacks, Japan held its first government-sanctioned hacking contest, which culminated February 3 in Tokyo.

According to a report on NHK, Japan’s national broadcaster, Masahiro Uemura, an official with the Ministry of the Economy, Trade and Industry, said these kinds of contests are common in other countries and are used to develop a domestic pool of cyber security experts. He added that Japan has a shortage of experts and is looking for ways to foster them.