Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications February 18, 2025 20:00
Study Group on Revision of Guidelines for Information Security Policies in Local Public Entities (16th Meeting)
The Study Group on Revision of Guidelines for Information Security Policies in Local Public Entities held its 16th meeting on February 18, 2025, to discuss proposed revisions to the “Guidelines for Information Security Policies in Local Public Entities” (hereinafter referred to as the “Guidelines”).
Background
The Guidelines were formulated in 2016 to provide local public entities with guidance on developing and implementing effective information security policies. In recent years, however, the threat landscape has evolved rapidly, with the advent of new technologies such as IoT and AI, and the increasing frequency of cyber attacks. In light of these changes, it has become necessary to revise the Guidelines to ensure that they continue to provide effective guidance to local public entities.
Proposed Revisions
The proposed revisions to the Guidelines include:
- Expansion of the scope of the Guidelines to cover all aspects of information security, including physical security, network security, and cloud security.
- Strengthening of the risk management framework to help local public entities identify and mitigate risks to their information assets.
- Inclusion of guidance on incident response to help local public entities prepare for and respond to cyber attacks.
- Update of the Annexes to include the latest information on best practices and technologies for information security.
Discussion at the Meeting
At the 16th meeting, the Study Group discussed the proposed revisions to the Guidelines in detail. Members of the Study Group expressed general support for the revisions, but also raised several specific concerns, including:
- The need to ensure that the Guidelines remain accessible to local public entities of all sizes.
- The need to provide more specific guidance on how to implement the Guidelines in practice.
- The need to ensure that the Guidelines are consistent with other relevant laws and regulations.
The Study Group agreed to continue discussing these issues at future meetings.
Next Steps
The Study Group is scheduled to hold its next meeting on March 18, 2025. At that meeting, the Study Group will finalize the proposed revisions to the Guidelines and submit them to the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications for approval. The revised Guidelines are expected to be published in April 2025.
Contact Information
For more information, please contact:
Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Information Security Policy Division Tel: 03-5253-5511 Fax: 03-5253-5512 Email: info-sec@soumu.go.jp
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