Almost 60 years after signing their Mutual Cooperation and Security Treaty, the United States and Japan officially integrate cyberspace into their mutual defense policy. From now on, a cyberattack against one will characterize an armed attack within the meaning of Article 5 of the Treaty and may lead to a collective response.
On the occasion of a "2 + 2" meeting in Washington, the American and Japanese Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense affirmed their desire to strengthen their multi-domain cooperation as a priority in "space, cyberspace and the electromagnetic spectrum ”.
High tensions around the South China Sea and the approaching Olympic Games make Japan a prime target for cyberattacks. This is all the more true since three particularly aggressive states in cyberspace flank it: China, North Korea and Russia.
Of course, the activation of Article 5 will be done on the basis of a case-by-case assessment and the ministers recalled that it is first and foremost the responsibility of each State to implement the necessary means to his own defense. However, this announcement confirms the emergence of deterrence no longer exclusively by atom or bit but by multi-domain.