Takatoshi Nakamura, an engineer by profession, has been in the internet services business for over two decades. He currently is the CEO of Cipher-Core, Inc., a Japan-based company that provides information security services, end-to-end protection technology for communication systems and remote authentication technology for internet-of-things (IoT) systems, among others, to its clients across the globe. ApEx talked to Nakamura about the scope of internet business, new technology, security and how Nepal can benefit from it. Excerpts: What is information security? Information security is basically a process to secure information from various kinds of cyber threats such as information theft, fake information, pretending to be someone else, etc. Many technologies and online systems can be manipulated by hackers and engineers try to protect them considering all the loopholes. We have built a system that is secured at the topmost level. Our information security diagnosis software can secure both hardware and software.

Why is it important?

A lot of things are based on the internet. And, if the internet is not secured, your information is also not secured. And it doesn’t only matter for an individual, but for society, companies, governments and the entire world. In the world of finance, various kinds of automation and networking efforts have been made. However, due in part to inadequate information security technology, there have been huge losses in both internet banking and internet security. Furthermore, the development of quantum computers in recent years is accelerating further weakening information security. However, if perfect encryption, which has been developed in recent years by our company, is used, everything in finance will be safe. Remittances, payments and storage are no exception. How is the global scenario of information security? The powerful countries in this world actually determine the level of information security for ordinary people. They don’t want a higher level of security as it might turn into a security threat to them if terrorist groups start using higher information security. So, as of now, the scenario of this world is the same. All countries and people have almost the same level of information security. How is your company working to counter this situation? We want to break the syndicate and provide the topmost level of information security products to our clients. Many people and organizations have started inquiring about our products and I hope, sooner, we will be able to secure the internet and the information because globally, around USD 2 trillion is annually lost due to breaches of data. I have been inventing internet technologies since 2002. My inventions are ‘Prototype of encryption device’, ‘Encrypted communication remote I/O’, ‘Encrypted communication device (CP-S1)’, ‘Remote Monitoring System for Nagoya city’, and ‘4th generation PV (photovoltaics)’, among others. With all these experiences and experiments, I can guarantee that our company will provide the topmost information security. Can you please explain about your products? We have the ‘Cipher Security Information Security Diagnosis Business’ where we conduct an information security diagnosis for all businesses that handle confidential information, including financial institutions and auditing firms, and provide guidance and support for the implementation of countermeasures using the seven encryption-related products developed by our company. Our company is an IT support business, and we design and sell products as a subsidy application business. We also have the ‘Cipher Tunnel and Cipher Messenger Business’. Information exchange on the internet these days is extremely vulnerable in terms of information security, whether it is email, social networking services (SNS), or cloud storage, and is completely undisclosed to the business operators that provide these tools. This tool provides the ‘Cipher Tunnel’ software for confidential communication and remote authentication functions to all businesses that handle confidential information, such as finance and medical care, as software for users themselves to perform confidential communication and confidential messaging. Currently, we are working on the ‘Cipher Core Securities Platform’ where we are aiming to provide the software that issues and manages ‘digital securities’ with completely confidential storage, communication, and complete remote authentication functions. Real-time settlement of digital securities directly on the internet enables high-speed, high-turnover transactions and contributes to a high-density economy. How can Nepal benefit from information security? If your country has a secure internet, your national security will be in a better position. This will definitely help boost the investment environment in the country. And if your country uses our products, we will help develop your own application, product, technology and system. You can then sell those products to other countries, which will boost the national economy. Nepal will be a showcase for all the products with better internet infrastructures. It will also need a complete internet which should be strong enough and non-breakable. How will the internet connect the world as a global village? Since the opening of the internet for the private sector in the early 1990s, text, music, images and video have crossed all boundaries in an instant. The first stage of the internet has permeated every corner of the world as an ‘Information Service Platform’. Human activity is not limited to information exchange. Business transactions on the internet have also exploded and have fundamentally changed conventional business practices. When we will be more safe and secure to communicate and share our things, it will automatically help to form a global village with shared values.