OFF THE GRID

Japan’s Head of Cybersecurity Admits He’s Never Used a Computer

Also appeared to be confused by the term “USB.”

Japan’s minister in charge of cybersecurity has admitted he has never used a computer in his professional life and went on to make comments that indicated he has no idea what a USB port is. Yoshitaka Sakurada’s information gaps were exposed as he answered questions from independent and opposition legislators in Japan’s parliament live on national TV. “I give instructions to my aide and so I don’t punch into a computer myself,” he said to astonished laughter from lawmakers, “But I am confident our work is flawless.” When asked about the power grid and malware, Sakurada said USBs were “basically never used” in the utility systems, which was taken as evidence he did not know what the term meant.