meta_id 3081000

On April 21, 2026, Japan's National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity (NISC), operating under the Cabinet Secretariat's National Cyber Control Room, launched a public consultation on the proposed Critical Infrastructure Unified Standards (案). The proposed standards establish unified criteria for government agency measures regarding cybersecurity assurance among critical infrastructure operators. The consultation follows amendments to the Cybersecurity Basic Law (Law No. 104 of 2014) in May 2025, which mandated the Cybersecurity Strategy Headquarters to develop these unified standards. The initiative addresses inconsistencies in cybersecurity implementation across critical infrastructure sectors and responds to escalating state-sponsored cyber threats. Currently, cybersecurity measures and their standards vary significantly across sectors and operators, with no concrete, unified evaluation framework. The new standards aim to enhance government engagement with critical infrastructure operators beyond voluntary compliance measures, ensuring more consistent and robust cybersecurity protection for essential services underpinning national life and economic activity. The consultation encompasses the proposed Critical Infrastructure Unified Standards, supported by reference materials including an overview document and a revised action plan for critical infrastructure cybersecurity. Submissions must be made through the e-Government portal (e-Gov) public comment system or via email to nco-infra-kijyun_atmark_cyber.go.jp. The comment period runs from April 21, 2026 to May 17, 2026. Submissions should include opinion summaries for comments exceeding 1,000 characters and specify relevant sections. All submitted opinions, excluding personal identifying information, will be made publicly available and considered in finalising the standards.