The Japanese government has decided to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the use of USB flash drives by local governments after it was revealed that the Self-Defense Forces had been using virus-infected devices, the Nikkei reported on July 2.

According to the report, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications plans to survey the status of USB usage across 1,788 local municipalities nationwide starting early this month.

The plan involves identifying the manufacturers and the number of units currently in use over a one-month period.

In addition, the ministry is reportedly considering investigations into other devices, such as drones and internet-connected surveillance cameras.

The Nikkei reported that the ministry intends to identify municipalities with lax management through this investigation and demand that they strengthen their security measures.

This move follows the recent discovery that the Self-Defense Forces had been using USB drives infected with a virus, suspected to have been planted by Chinese hackers, for nearly a year.

The Ground Self-Defense Force's Middle Army, stationed in Itami, Hyogo Prefecture, discovered that a member's PC had slowed down in February last year. During the subsequent investigation of the USB drives connected to the PC, it was found that six of them were infected with a virus.

These USB drives were found to have been connected to more than 50 out of the 480 PCs at the headquarters that were subject to the investigation.

According to a survey conducted by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on local governments nationwide last year, only 10 percent of municipalities had strict selection criteria for information technology (IT) equipment.

As central and local government networks are interconnected, concerns have been raised that if a municipality with poor security management uses an infected USB drive, the damage could spread to the central government's systems.

(Photo: Yonhap News)