美國把網絡攻擊視作戰爭行為

Recently the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:　
政府がサイバー攻撃に対する自衛権発動の検討に入った背景には、同盟国の米国が中国への懸念を深めていることがある。

　中国政府は否定するが、多くの例で中国の関与が指摘される。

　こうした攻撃に自衛権を発動した場合、実力行使の手段をどのように取り、どんな手続きを取るのか。「専守防衛」を掲げる日本は、報復の攻撃力を米軍に依存している。政府は、米国との共同対処を念頭に、外務・防衛当局の日米協議を１１年９月から始めた。

　米国防総省は同年７月に発表した初の「サイバー軍事戦略」で、外国からのサイバー攻撃を「戦争行為」とみなし、軍事報復を辞さない方針を打ち出した。さらに９月、オーストラリアとの間で、サイバー攻撃の際の共同対処方針を決定。

　日本にも「豪州同様のアプローチを構築する機会がほしい」（１０月、パネッタ米国防長官）としており、今後、日米共同対処の枠組み作りが進む見通しだ。ただ、サイバー攻撃を戦争行為とみなすことは、「国際的合意を得ているわけではない」（外務省筋）のが実情だ。欧米諸国では、サイバー空間での行動規範や交戦規則の策定を目指す動きが始まっており、日本政府も関与していく方針だ。

(試譯文)
Against the background that the governments were examining the right of self-defense towards cyber attacks, the U.S. and its ally had deepened their concern over China.

Although the Chinese government denied it, Chinese involvement was pointed out in many examples.
The question was at which moment the right of self-defense could be invoked towards such an attack, and how and what means of force should be used, and what kind of procedure should be taken.
Japan which advocated "exclusively defensive defense" was depending on the US in its offensive retaliation strength. The Japanese government, believing in a joint management with the US, had a US-Japan agreement signed by its foreign affairs and defense authorities that would be effective starting from September 2011.
In its first "Cyber Command strategy" announced in July of the same year, the U.S. Department of Defense considered that the cyber assault from a foreign country an "act of war", and set forth a plan which did not rule out a military retaliation. Furthermore, in September a policy was set up for a joint management plan with Australia in the case of a cyber attack.
Supposedly Japan also " want an opportunity to build the same approach as Australia has" (October, Panetta the U.S. Secretary of Defense), and from now on a framework development for the Japan-U.S. joint management was expected to proceed.
However, in considering that a cyber attack was an act of war, the reality was that "an international agreement has not necessarily been reached" (Ministry of Foreign Affairs sources). In the Western countries, a motion was started that aimed at making a policy over the code of conduct in the cyberspace and over the rules of engagement; the Japanese government was also planning to get involved.

Cyber space is a new frontier for international competition. I hope it will not lead to a war because of conflicts.