IIJ to Begin Field Trials for Security Solutions' Development with Artificial Intelligence

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TOKYO-July 13, 2015-Internet Initiative Japan Inc. (IIJ, NASDAQ: IIJI, TSE1: 3774), one of Japan's leading Internet access and comprehensive network solutions providers, today announced that it has commenced field trials as part of the development of security solutions that employ artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. As a first step, IIJ will implement AI technologies in its own networks. This AI will automatically analyze cyberattacks, make decisions, and implement self-learning. IIJ will begin to confirm its utility in August 2015.

Recently, information-security-related threats have grown more complex and sophisticated. Implementing security measures to handle cyberattacks and information leaks has thus become a crucial task for companies. Meanwhile, mobile devices, cloud services, and M2M/IoT-enabled devices are becoming more common. As this occurs, the data that must be protected have become distributed throughout a wide area, and ensuring security has become extremely difficult. Furthermore, there are concerns around the world that there is a lack of sufficient personnel to handle information security. It is also predicted that ensuring a supply of skilled personnel will become even effortful. As a means of dealing with security risks such as these, IIJ believes that it is possible to utilize AI technologies to perform monitoring and anomaly detection on high-volume telecommunications traffic 24 hours per day, 365 days per year-without human intervention. IIJ has decided to begin these field trials for verifying capabilities of the new threat prediction and rapid handling.

In 2001, IIJ inaugurated the IIJ group Security Coordination Team (IIJ-SECT), which quickly detected security incidents that occurred online, analyzed them, and collected information on vulnerabilities. Similarly, starting in 2007, IIJ engaged in efforts to counter malware(*) using its Malware Investigation Task Force (MITF). The MITF performed a variety of security-related activities, such as recording cyberattacks and using the data obtained from the analysis of malware samples that the MITF had acquired for purposes of cooperation with external organizations. The aim of the MITF is to create a safe and secure online community.

• (*) Malware: "Malware" is a general term for computer viruses, spyware, and other programs created to infect computers and exploit the vulnerabilities that can be found primarily within operating systems and software applications. Once it infects a computer, malware can steal information assets such as passwords and personal information, and it can use the computer as a springboard for cyberattacks on other computers. Thus, it can cause a variety of different forms of damage.

For this field trial, IIJ will build a test system that uses AI technologies and high-performance computing (HPC). After confirming that the system is capable of monitoring high-volume traffic and detecting anomalies, IIJ will proceed with technological tests (provisionally commencing this autumn) whose goal is to prove that the system is capable of performing at a practicable level in terms of security threat prediction, detection, and other functions. IIJ aims to commercialize such systems in the next fiscal year. The use of AI technologies has the potential to benefit more than just the security field: It may enable rapid, accurate, and automatic implementation of various processes that previously required human intervention, such as by automating device operations and automatically switching among systems based on analysis of the conditions when system errors occur. In addition to applying AI technologies to security solutions, IIJ plans to search for ways of applying them to a variety of fields—including the analysis of Big Data.

The statements within this release contain forward-looking statements about our future plans that involve risk and uncertainty. These statements may differ materially from actual future events or results. Readers are referred to the documents furnished by Internet Initiative Japan Inc. with the SEC, specifically the most recent reports on Forms 20-F and 6-K, which identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements.

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IIJ Corporate Communications

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• +81-3-5205-6377
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