Japan Issues OT Security Guidance for Semiconductor Factories

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has published a new OT security guidance for semiconductor factories, a 130-page document available in Japanese and English. The guidance, issued on 31 October 2025, draws on Japan’s CPSF and the internationally used NIST CSF 2.0 framework, and notes that NIST is developing a CSF 2.0 variant aimed at semiconductor manufacturing in the United States.

It also notes that chipmakers worldwide have been targeted by threat actors, including claims about profit-driven cybercriminals and sophisticated state-backed groups linked to North Korea and China. According to the article, the guide sets out reference architectures and recommends security measures such as asset management, vulnerability assessment, minimising potential damage, monitoring, incident response and recovery, and physical access restrictions.

It emphasises the importance of implementing countermeasures against advanced cyberattacks given the semiconductor industry’s economic and national security significance. A 23-page summary is also available alongside the full guide.