US tech conglomerate Cisco Systems is set to boost its presence in Japan in an effort to help government and businesses tighten their defenses against cyberattacks.
Chair and CEO Chuck Robbins told NHK that his company views Japan as an important front in the fight against hackers.
Robbins said that given Japan’s focus on “cybersecurity, digital transformation, artificial intelligence and leveraging technology, it’s just a great time to be here.”
In recent years Japan has become a target of increasingly sophisticated hacking attacks.
Cisco says a cybersecurity center that it plans to open in Tokyo by the end of the year will help the country bolster its defenses.
Experts at the center will be able to advise the government on its cybersecurity measures. Others will be available to assist Japanese companies.
Robbins said that “given the relationship between the US and Japan in particular, it is very important to us that we do everything we can to help Japan as it builds out cybersecurity and cyber defenses.”
Cisco says only 2 percent of Japanese firms have taken adequate steps to protect their networks.