Google launches 1st cyberdefense hub in Tokyo amid looming China threat: Report

Google cyberdefense hub Tokyo: Alphabet-owned Google on Thursday, March 7, 2024, established its first Asia-Pacific cyberdefense hub in Tokyo, responding to escalating worries among regional countries regarding potential cyber threats, as reported by Nikkei Asia. The US technology behemoth aims to foster research into cyberattack countermeasures by facilitating the exchange of cutting-edge information with relevant Japanese government entities, corporations, and academic institutions. This new facility will serve as a hub for training and nurturing regional cyberdefense experts, the report said.

Google's move comes amid mounting apprehensions surrounding unauthorised access to government and corporate networks by hostile entities worldwide. Housed within Google's Roppongi office in Tokyo, the hub is poised to bolster cyberdefenses across the Asia-Pacific region.

According to Nikkei, Google plans to convene engineers from India, Australia, South Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asian nations to collaborate on combatting cyberattacks. The company will not seek financial compensation for this collaborative research endeavour, the report added.

With its roots dating back to the establishment of its first overseas subsidiary in Japan in 2001, Google boasts a significant presence in the country and is known to have numerous cyberdefense researchers. Heather Adkins, Google's Vice President with over two decades of experience in cyberdefense, told Nikkei that experts from Japanese research institutes will contribute to collaborative efforts.