Japanese Government To Hack Own Citizens

The Japanese government is worried about the threat of cybercrime ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. As more and more devices are connected the internet, hackers find increased opportunities to commit cybercrimes.

According to Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, most hacking in 2016 targeted devices connected to the internet other than computers.

These can range from webcams to virtual assistants to smart refrigerators. As long as it needs to be connected to the internet, a device can be a potential security risk.


The ministry has granted the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology permission to start looking for weaknesses in around 200 million IP addresses.

For at least part of this process, NICT will reportedly use default and common passwords to try to hack in to a range of internet capable devices, beginning on Feb. 20.

CNN reported that these tests will focus on 100 common username and password combinations like "admin" and "1234."

Once it finds unsecure devices, the government will reportedly alert internet providers, who will then let the owners of these devices know that they need to increase their security.