On 27 October 2026 the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) announced that it was opening a special cybersecurity consultation desk for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and small businesses, and starting to push information out to them. The move responds to the many large-scale data leaks and other damage caused by a series of cyberattacks on Japanese companies and other organisations.
This page summarises the METI news release and its reference material on the special cybersecurity consultation desk (a PDF headed "Cybersecurity measures for SMEs and small businesses").
Overview
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Date announced | 27 October 2026 |
| Announced by | Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (Small and Medium Enterprise Agency) |
| What | Opening of a special cybersecurity consultation desk for SMEs and small businesses, and start of proactive ("push") information provision |
| Where the desks are | The Yorozu Support Centres in each prefecture, and the IT Management Support Center of the Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, JAPAN (SMRJ) |
| Cost | Free |
| Opened | 27 October 2026 (the day of the announcement) |
1. Opening of the special consultation desks
According to the news release, free special cybersecurity consultation desks were opened as of 27 October at the Yorozu Support Centres set up in each prefecture and at the SMRJ IT Management Support Center, and they accept consultations from SMEs.
The reference material describes the two desks as follows.
| Desk | Intended for | Content and format |
|---|---|---|
| Yorozu Support Centres (one-stop consultation desks) | Businesses that do not know specifically what to do, or that want to discuss security together with wider management concerns | Free, as many times as needed. Covers management issues including the use of IT and information security. Refers businesses to specialists and other bodies where needed |
| SMRJ IT Management Support Center | Businesses that want to consult a specialist on IT and information security | Free online consultations of 60 minutes, available any number of times. Handled by IT specialists in a neutral position. Advice on information security measures, identifying risks, information asset management and management structures |
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Try for free →2. Proactive information provision
According to the news release, METI will push information about these initiatives out to SMEs and small businesses through support bodies across the country, such as chambers of commerce and other business associations, financial institutions and tax accountants.
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Measures and support schemes listed in the reference material
Besides the consultation desks, the reference material lists the following measures and support schemes.
| Name | Description in the reference material |
|---|---|
| Information Security Guidelines for SMEs | Published by the Information-technology Promotion Agency (IPA). Contains ready-to-use samples and templates of rules, such as a basic information security policy, that also address the requirements of the SCS evaluation scheme, and provides a self-check tool, "Information security self-diagnosis in five minutes" |
| Information on government support for putting security measures into practice | Information on government support for implementing cybersecurity measures |
| Cybersecurity Otasuketai (support team) services | A one-package service for SMEs that provides, at low cost, services essential to their cybersecurity, such as a consultation desk, monitoring for system anomalies, emergency response support and simple cyber insurance |
| Digitalisation and AI Adoption Subsidy, security measures category | Subsidises the fees (for up to two years) for introducing Otasuketai services. The cap is JPY 50,000 to JPY 1.5 million, and the subsidy rate is 1/2 for SMEs and 2/3 for small businesses |
The reference material describes the SCS evaluation scheme as a scheme that evaluates and makes visible companies' cybersecurity measures against common criteria, to raise the level of security across the whole supply chain.
Contacts
The news release lists as contacts the General Affairs Division of the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency (for the desks and information provision generally), its SMRJ section (for matters concerning the SMRJ), the Management Support Division (for the Yorozu Support Centres) and the Small Business Promotion Division (for societies and chambers of commerce and industry).
Sources
- METI, "Opening of a special cybersecurity consultation desk for SMEs and small businesses" (27 October 2026, Japanese) https://www.meti.go.jp/press/2026/10/20261027003.html
- METI, reference material on the special cybersecurity consultation desk (PDF, Japanese) https://www.meti.go.jp/files/000006722.pdf
This page is compiled from material published by government agencies. Please consult a lawyer where a decision is needed on a specific matter.
