NHK reported online that industry groups formed by IT companies in the United States and Japan have agreed to cooperate in sharing information about the sources and methods of cyberattacks to strengthen countermeasures. The network said that ICT-ISAC, which consists of approximately 40 Japanese companies and organizations such as NTT DOCOMO and NEC, and IT-ISAC, which comprises around 100 American companies including Intel and Oracle, signed a memorandum of understanding in Tokyo on Monday. The two groups will share information on IP addresses of sources and the latest methods of cyberattacks as well as measures to deal with them. The Japanese side will also consider setting up a new system with which to promptly provide ICT-ISAC members with information shared with the U.S. side. According to a study conducted by the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology, which is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the number of indiscriminate cyberattacks against Japanese entities last year was up 140% from the previous year. The broadcaster said it is becoming increasingly important to respond to cyberattacks through international collaboration because the spread of IoT will increase the number of devices at risk from cyberattacks. Tuesday’s Yomiuri and Sankei ran similar reports.