Council of Anti-Phishing Japan
The Council of Anti-Phishing Japan (hereafter APC), an organization comprised of entities that are potential targets of phishing attacks and those that can provide means of protecting against such attacks, was founded with the aim of promoting countermeasures against phishing, centered on activities such as collecting and providing information and issuing alerts.
When APC was founded in 2005, the word "phishing" was just starting to gain ground, along with the facts relating to this particular type of fraud. Back then, phishing-related damages and losses were mostly seen in the English-speaking world, but they have subsequently spread to the rest of the world as well. In 2014, the number of reports received by APC surpassed 20,000, indicating that anti-phishing measures have now become an urgent need in Japan as well.
As of January 19, 2015, APC membership comprises 80 organizations, with the Anti-Phishing Working Group of the U.S. participating as an observer.
APC provides information to promote anti-phishing measures, including critical information, published news information, anti-phishing guidelines, and a manga illustrating five key anti-phishing measures.
Furthermore, APC members collaborate in addressing various issues through anti-phishing seminars; working groups for studying means of defense, creating documents, and planning educational activities etc.
JPCERT/CC has been serving to the Council of Anti-Phishing Japan as its Secretariat since April 2009,
and conducts coordinating activities together with APC to close phishing sites.