U.S. Embassy and Consulates in Japan -- The United States Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (DHS/CISA), Department of State (DOS), and Department of Energy (DOE) are proud to have supported the Japan – US Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity Week March 8-12, 2021. Hosted by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and the Industrial Cyber Security Center of Excellence (ICSCoE), under the Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA), the training brought together 40 operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) professionals from the Indo-Pacific region.

This was the third iteration of the Japan-US ICS cybersecurity exercise, held virtually for the first time. The weeklong training brought together OT and IT cybersecurity experts from critical infrastructure operators, national CSIRTs, and policy experts from relevant ministries and national authorities. Trainees represented the electricity, oil and gas, water, and construction sectors, among others. In addition, a second group of ICSCoE trainees, who have been taking a year-long industrial cybersecurity training at the ICSCoE’s ‘Core Human Resource Development Program’, also attended this exercise.

We were pleased to welcome for the first time experts from the European Union who contributed to new JP-US-EU Seminars on Cybersecurity in the post-COVID environment, covering the vital issues of healthcare and policy standardization.

The one week program provided the participants with unique and valuable opportunities to conduct hands-on training remotely and to learn a variety of cybersecurity-related topics, including supply chains, process automation, and workforce development from experts from the United States, Japan, and the EU, as well as to share their respective experiences and views with colleagues in the region.

The program underscores the United States’ and Japan’s shared commitment to ensuring an open, interoperable, reliable, and secure cyber space while building a foundation to jointly address the growing cybersecurity threats with likeminded Indo-Pacific and European partners.