Government and company websites across the world went offline this week after the disclosure of critical vulnerabilities in a widely used programming language prompted millions of hacking attempts. | REUTERS

Japan has said it will set up a team to simulate cyberattacks using AI to identify weaknesses in technology systems as organizations scramble to curtail risks from flaws in the PHP programming language that underpins much of the internet.

Government and company websites across the world went offline this week after the disclosure of critical vulnerabilities in the widely used programming language prompted millions of hacking attempts, forcing website operators to rush to protect or temporarily shut down their systems.

Highlighting the extent of the disruption, Japan’s third-largest mobile carrier, SoftBank, said on Friday it was suspending its emergency alert system for mobile users.

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