- The global expansion and development of cyberspace has turned it into a place where a wide
range of information and data, both in terms of quality and quantity, can be freely generated,
shared, analyzed and distributed across national borders regardless of time and place.
- Equipped with these characteristics, cyberspace offers a place where people can enrich their lives
and realize diverse values by creating intellectual assets such as technological innovations and
new business models. As such, it serves as a foundation for the sustainable development of the
economy and society in the future while underpinning liberalism, democracy, and cultural
development.
- To serve the purpose of the Basic Act by making cyberspace “a free, fair and secure space,” the
government has formulated a “Cybersecurity Strategy” based on this Act twice so far. This
strategy defines Japan’s basic plan for its measures on cybersecurity.
- Given an understanding of the era as discussed above, there is no reason to assume that the
purpose of this strategy and its stance to cyberspace should be changed in any way. Rather, it
should be understood the need to ensure “a free, fair and secure space” is greater than ever now
when securing cyberspace is at risk.
2.2 Principles
- With this understanding, Japan will firmly maintain and abide by the five principles upheld in
the past strategies as the basic principles to be followed in formulating and implementing
measures on cybersecurity.
(i) Assurance of the free flow of information
- For the sustainable development of cyberspace as a place for creation and innovation, it is
imperative to build and maintain a world (a world where “Data Free Flow with Trust” is
ensured) in which transmitted information reaches the intended recipient without being unfairly
censored or illegally modified en route.
- As a basic condition for the free flow of information in cyberspace, morality and commonsense,
including consideration for privacy, are requested not to offend rights and interests of others.
(ii) The rule of law
- As the integration of cyberspace and real space progresses, the rule of law should also be
maintained in cyberspace, which has developed as a foundation underpinning liberalism,
democracy, and so forth, in the same way as in real space.
- Similarly, existing international law including the UN Charter should be applied in cyberspace,
and any act that threatens peace and activities that support such acts should not be condoned.
(iii) Openness
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