25 votes

Japan cybersecurity minister admits he has never used a computer

9 comments

  1. [2]
    toly
    Link
    The most amazing thing to me is not that people are surprised by this but by the fact that they think this is unusual. When I started my job there were still employees who gleefully bragged that...

    “If a hacker targets this Minister Sakurada, they wouldn’t be able to steal any information. Indeed it might be the strongest kind of security!”

    The most amazing thing to me is not that people are surprised by this but by the fact that they think this is unusual. When I started my job there were still employees who gleefully bragged that they never used email. Their claim was that if it was important enough they would get a hard copy of the information eventually. It wasn't an inaccurate assessment of the situation but still mind baffling.

    15 votes
    1. Kiloku
      Link Parent
      Well, the point is that his job should require in depth computer knowledge, while most others would require the basics at best

      Well, the point is that his job should require in depth computer knowledge, while most others would require the basics at best

      4 votes
  2. Kijafa
    Link
    As a complete outsider, this looks like either a crony-ish appointment or Abe genuinely wants the cybersecurity of the government to be hobbled. Why else would you appoint someone who is computer...

    As a complete outsider, this looks like either a crony-ish appointment or Abe genuinely wants the cybersecurity of the government to be hobbled. Why else would you appoint someone who is computer illiterate to run your cybersecurity program?

    10 votes
  3. [3]
    blau
    Link
    Ironically he's the best person for the job. If you're not on a computer or online, nothing bad can happen to you from a cyber security standpoint. Right?

    Ironically he's the best person for the job. If you're not on a computer or online, nothing bad can happen to you from a cyber security standpoint. Right?

    2 votes
    1. neu
      Link Parent
      I can only imagine trying to explain security vulnerabilities to someone who doesn't even know what a USB drive is, or how it works. Sure, he's impossible to hack. But his job is much more...

      I can only imagine trying to explain security vulnerabilities to someone who doesn't even know what a USB drive is, or how it works. Sure, he's impossible to hack. But his job is much more important than just to ensure that he, himself, isn't vulnerable.

      To get a better understanding of what his office does, check this PDF from 2015 I found on their website and go to page 8 (section 4). Someone with zero understanding of computers and their networks is not going to be able to effectively lead this department in the goals that this agency was put in place for.

      16 votes
    2. unknown user
      Link Parent
      Nope. Loads of data about you are on government and other computers. From your birth certificate to loads of images of you through security cameras and random tourists taking photos here and...

      Nope. Loads of data about you are on government and other computers. From your birth certificate to loads of images of you through security cameras and random tourists taking photos here and there. Almost all of the transport, public or not, runs on computers. All of the machinery and plumbing. All the things touch computers at some point, and most to internet. You may avoid computers on a very personal level, but maybe except you go live in mountains or deserts (and even then you're probably imaged, maybe multiple times a day from above by satellites, though IDK the upper limit to the detail they can capture). And even then tonnes of data about you is storen in governments' computers, totally involutarily. And leaking even part of data available about you can be very harmful.

      6 votes
  4. [2]
    demifiend
    Link
    If he honestly has never used a computer before, wouldn't that mean he doesn't have any bad habits to unlearn?

    If he honestly has never used a computer before, wouldn't that mean he doesn't have any bad habits to unlearn?

    1 vote
    1. Crespyl
      Link Parent
      Telling yourself "I don't need to know how to interact with a computer" for the last 20 years should probably qualify as a bad habit.

      Telling yourself "I don't need to know how to interact with a computer" for the last 20 years should probably qualify as a bad habit.

      17 votes
  5. Silbern
    Link
    This guy is completely out of the loop, geez. How on earth could he not realize that $13 is a little low for the Japanese government's contribution? Especially when he, at least should be, well...

    When Renho asked him how much funding the central government would contribute to the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics, he responded: “1,500 yen”, which works out at just over $13, some way below the actual sum of 150 billion yen.

    This guy is completely out of the loop, geez. How on earth could he not realize that $13 is a little low for the Japanese government's contribution? Especially when he, at least should be, well aware of the status of the Olympic games, as one of his primary duties will be ensuring safety during the events. This guy is supremely unfit for his job in his current state, and if he wants to stay on as minister, he needs to go through a serious crash course and fast. :/

    8 votes