Initial Disclosure Date: Jun 29, 2012

On June 28, the Public Security Bureau and Cyber-crime Control Unit under the Metropolitan Police Department began a full-scale investigation after Anonymous indicated their cyber-attacks on Japan including the government. The charges would be business interference by computer damages and the violation of the law to ban unauthorized computer access. The police started interviewing administrators of the hacked websites and will ask Internet service providers to submit logs in order to find out Anonymous involvement.

The Public Security Bureau is in charge of cyber-terrorism investigation, whereas the Cyber-Crime Control Unit handles with unauthorized computer accesses and computer viruses. They jointly investigate recent cyber-attacks to find out attribution as soon as possible. Because most of Anonymous members should live overseas, the Public Security Bureau started to consider asking for cooperation of its foreign counterparts.

On June 28, Kyodo interviewed a man who claims to be an Anonymous member, “Knowledge Us,” by Skype. He stated, “(Attacks on Japan) has not been done yet,” indicating that Anonymous will continue cyber-attacks. He declared that their targets are not limited to Japan and include other governments that censor the Internet. He also suggested that next targets will be released online, because “I cannot tell you about our (next) targets I know.” He warned, “(Our next attacks) will be a Japan clean-up operation” and “ (Our next attacks) will be more than crippling websites,” indicating escalation of their cyber-attacks.

Kyodo asked, “Aren’t these attacks antisocial actions?” He answered, “I personally do not accept the release of personal information of innocent third parties. However, we will use every single method to protest against advocates (of the amendment to the copyright law).”

On the same day, one of the nine administrators for the “Operation Japan” website targeting Japan including the government also answered Yomiuri Shimbun’s interview by emails and chats. “The attacks were done by us,” the person admitted. “We will continue hacking until the amendment to the copyright law is changed.” Anonymous uses this IRC website to exchange information. The website also allows the nine members to take the leadership to post instructions of a series of attacks and targets.

The member explained that they started the recent cyber-attacks “because they leanred about the revision of the Japanese copyright law by online news articles.” “This is a terrible amendment to throw people into jails even if they download only a few songs. We will continue attacks until they change the law.” He added, “(Our members would be) about 200 to 300” and “some of them would be Japanese.”

Around 9am on June 29, AnonymousIRC Tweeted, “PhaseII of #OpJapan initiated.” The person did not clarify what the next targets would be.

Sources:
Sankei Shimbun, “Hakka shudan ‘Anonymous’ Keishicho honkaku chosa he seihu kikan nado kogeki [The Metropolitan Police Department started a full-scale investigation of Anonymous cyber-attacks on the Japanese government],” June 28, 2012,
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/affairs/news/120628/crm12062820550022-n1.htm
Nishinihon Shimbun, “Anonymous wo honkaku chosa Keishicho hasshinmoto no tokutei wo isogu [The Metropolitan Police Department started a full-scale investigation of Anonymous and is hastily trying to attribute cyber-attacks],” June 28, 2012,
http://www.nishinippon.co.jp/nnp/item/310091
Kyodo News, “Nihon he ‘hakka kogeki tsudukeru’ Anonymous tsugi no taisho ha chikaku netto de kohyo [Anonymous said they would continue cyber-attacks on Japan and release next targets soon on the Internet],” June 29, 2012,
http://sankei.jp.msn.com/affairs/news/120629/crm12062908090009-n1.htm
Kyodo News, “Anonymous, Nihon heno hakka kogeki tsudukeru [Anonymous said that they would continue cyber-attacks on Japan],” June 29, 2012,
http://www.nikkansports.com/general/news/f-gn-tp1-20120629-974883.html
Yomiuri Shimbun, “Anonymous menba ‘Chosakuken-ho kaisei made kogeki’ [An Anonymous member said that they would continue their cyber-attacks until the amendment to the Copyright Law is changed],” June 29, 2012,
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/national/news/20120628-OYT1T01684.htm

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