Hitachi Systems and Mitsui & Co. SecureDirection Launch Collaboration in Cybersecurity

Daisuke Konagaya, General Manager, Managed Security Services Division, Security Services Business Unit, Hitachi Systems Corporation (left), and Takeshi Inagaki, Executive Officer, Advanced Services Business Division, Mitsui & Co. SecureDirection Corporation (right)

Hitachi Systems Corporation (hereinafter 'Hitachi Systems') and Mitsui & Co. SecureDirection Corporation (hereinafter 'MBSD') are launching a collaborative initiative in the field of cybersecurity services.

Through this partnership, the companies will combine Hitachi Systems’ end-to-end IT service capabilities—from consulting to construction, operation, and maintenance—delivered nationwide in a one-stop manner, with MBSD’s advanced vulnerability analysis and research capabilities, to robustly support business continuity for customers across Japan.

Specifically, in response to the increasingly complex cybersecurity landscape driven by AI advancements, security professionals from both Hitachi Systems and MBSD will collaborate to develop AI-powered security services. As the first phase of this collaboration, the two companies will jointly operate a Security Operations Center (SOC) service—'Fusion SOC Service'—launching service provision in July 2026.

*1 Security Operation Center

Background

The sophistication of cyberattacks and the shortage of cybersecurity talent are intensifying. To protect customers’ supply chains, cross-organizational collaboration has become an urgent necessity.

In recent years, the rapid advancement of AI technology has led to a sharp increase in cybercriminals exploiting AI in their attack processes, making cyber threats more severe than ever in speed and scale. At the same time, while enterprises are rapidly adopting 'AI agents' to improve operational efficiency and accelerate digital transformation (DX), these agents themselves are becoming new 'attack surfaces,' making the establishment of corresponding security measures an urgent priority. Furthermore, cyberattack targets are shifting from well-protected enterprises to their suppliers, affiliates, and other vulnerable connection points—known as 'supply chain attacks.'

These attacks are becoming even more sophisticated through the misuse of AI, making it imperative to implement effective countermeasures that protect not just individual companies, but entire supply chains, including business partners. Amid a growing shortage of highly skilled cybersecurity personnel, there is a strong demand for companies to collaborate across organizational boundaries and integrate their expertise to build robust defense systems.

Overview of the Collaboration

As a member of the Hitachi Group, Hitachi Systems has accumulated extensive domain knowledge through years of involvement in social infrastructure maintenance. The company provides end-to-end IT services—from consulting to construction, operation, and maintenance—in a one-stop manner to customers nationwide. In its security business, it systematizes services from the customer’s business perspective based on the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF)*2, offering Managed Security Services (MSS) centered on a Security Operations Center (SOC), along with advanced operational automation expertise.

Meanwhile, MBSD operates as a cybersecurity professional, offering broad support ranging from preventive measures to detective controls and incident response. The company particularly boasts experienced security analysts and has established a strong track record and deep expertise in threat intelligence collection and analysis, advanced vulnerability assessment, and research capabilities.

Through this collaboration, the companies will combine Hitachi Systems’ strengths in 'domain knowledge × AI' with MBSD’s strengths in 'advanced threat detection × superior analyst analysis × threat intelligence collection and dissemination' to establish a joint SOC service framework that leverages the best of both organizations.

Based on this joint SOC service, new cybersecurity solutions designed to protect customers’ supply chains from advanced threats in the AI era will be widely delivered across Japan through Hitachi Systems’ nationwide service delivery infrastructure.

*2 Cybersecurity Framework published by NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology, USA)

Future Outlook

Advancing toward an integrated, high-level security operations framework that combines monitoring, analysis, and response, delivering full-stack services

The companies will further enhance the jointly operated SOC service to deliver seamless, full-stack services—covering prevention, detection, analysis, response, and recovery—contributing to the assurance of business continuity and sustainable growth for customers.

Comment from Takahiro Yoshida, Deputy Group Leader, Business & Cloud Services Group, Hitachi Systems

We are very pleased to announce this strategic collaboration with MBSD in the field of cybersecurity.

In today’s globally interconnected and complex supply chains, the key to defending business against cyber threats lies in how quickly and accurately we can process the ever-growing volume of security logs. To achieve this, the advancement and autonomy of AI-driven security operations are essential.

The Hitachi Group has cultivated deep domain knowledge through decades of supporting critical social infrastructure. By integrating MBSD’s exceptional security analysis capabilities and cutting-edge AI technologies into Hitachi Systems’ high-quality managed services, we will deliver next-generation security operations services that elevate threat detection and response—going beyond what is currently possible.

Together with our strong partner MBSD, we will jointly safeguard Japan’s social infrastructure, strengthen cyber resilience across customers’ entire supply chains, and support an environment where customers can pursue sustainable growth and innovation without disruption from unforeseen incidents.

Comment from Oyama Suzuki, President & CEO, Mitsui & Co. SecureDirection

Mitsui & Co. SecureDirection considers this strategic collaboration with Hitachi Systems in the cybersecurity domain highly significant, as it enables us to deliver even more advanced and innovative services to customers nationwide.

Cyber threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated, making it difficult to respond effectively with traditional monitoring and countermeasures alone.

By integrating MBSD’s cybersecurity expertise—developed as a dedicated cybersecurity specialist in monitoring, analysis, and incident response—with Hitachi Systems’ comprehensive capabilities spanning system design, construction, operation, maintenance, and engineering, we will deliver security services that offer broader, more integrated support than ever before.

Through this collaboration, we aim to enhance threat detection using frontier AI technologies and accelerate analysis and response, thereby protecting customers’ critical information assets and business operations, while contributing to business continuity and sustainable growth.

About 'Fusion SOC Service'

https://www.hitachi-systems.com/solution/s0313/fusionsoc/index.html

About Hitachi Systems

Hitachi Systems supports the social innovation business of the Hitachi Group, promoting sustainable management and system development