The Executive Yuan plans to spend more than NT$1.6 billion (US$51.1 million) next year to protect the most frequently attacked government Web sites and databases from Chinese hacking, multiple sources said yesterday.
Last year’s most frequently hacked targets were the Web sites of the Presidential Office, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Security Bureau, the sources said.
To shore up its defenses, the bureau, which last year averted more than 23 million assaults, plans to build by 2025 a fibet-optic communication network at an estimated cost of NT$210 million, they said.
The digital economy budget of the Ministry of the Interior is to allocate NT$910 million toward enhancing local government cybersecurity and regional joint defenses.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs is to implement a cybersecurity flagship program for the defense industry at a cost of NT$370 million, while the National Communications Commission is to establish a data stream security office, as well as cybersecurity services and research, at a cost of NT$130 million, the budget plan shows.
“China has, out of its deep hostility for our nation, initiated an aggressive campaign to obtain information on the nation’s 23 million citizens through their household registration, military service or personal data,” a government official said yesterday on condition of anonymity.
The nation must continually improve its cybersecurity without letting up, the official added.
The special budget for the first phase of the Forward-looking Infrastructure Development Program allocates NT$840 million to replace aging and vulnerable equipment used by the household registration services, the Department of Household Registration Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior said separately.
The phase-out program is proceeding smoothly, the department said, adding that it would continue to enhance its cybersecurity by taking advantage next year of the cybersecurity of local governments and the regional joint-defense program.
The Executive Yuan plans to spend NT$8 million on operations to safeguard homeland information and communications, the sources said.
While NT$4.7 million of the budget is allocated for international cooperation and dialogue on homeland security and anti-terrorism measures, NT$33 million is slated for dialogue and activities related to cybersecurity policies, they said.
The dialogue would include Taiwan-US talks on cybersecurity, conferences on protecting crucial digital infrastructure and participation in Black Hat panels, the world’s leading information security event, they said.
The Presidential Office proposed NT$600,000 to establish a cybersecurity research fund that would apply the latest research to protect its information practices and communications, they said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs — reportedly targeted by 20,000 cyberattacks per year — has proposed allocating NT$1.6 million toward information security at embassies and representative offices, they said.
The budget would enable purchase of encryption equipment and additional secured telephone lines, as well as funding supervision for the use of codes and the transportation of classified mail, they said.
Another NT$1.9 million is allocated for the foreign affairs ministry to conduct cybersecurity inspections, particularly at embassies and representative offices, they added.
The Central Election Committee is to allocate NT$1.5 million in next year’s budget toward protecting elections from interference and data theft, they said, adding that the proposed funds would be used for cybersecurity inspections, Web site stress testing, system infiltration simulations and similar activities.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-Wong tomorrow, which it said would possibly make landfall near central Taiwan. As of 2am yesterday, Fung-Wong was about 1,760km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, moving west-northwest at 26kph. It is forecast to reach Luzon in the northern Philippines by tomorrow, the CWA said. After entering the South China Sea, Typhoon Fung-Wong is likely to turn northward toward Taiwan, CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said, adding that it would likely make landfall near central Taiwan. The CWA expects to issue a land
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday said it is expected to issue a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong this afternoon and a land warning tomorrow. As of 1pm, the storm was about 1,070km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, and was moving west-northwest at 28 to 32kph, according to CWA data. The storm had a radius of 250km, with maximum sustained winds of 173kph and gusts reaching 209kph, the CWA added. The storm is forecast to pass near Luzon in the Philippines before entering the South China Sea and potentially turning northward toward Taiwan, the CWA said. CWA forecaster Chang Chun-yao (張峻堯) said
PREPARATION: Ferry lines and flights were canceled ahead of only the second storm to hit the nation in November, while many areas canceled classes and work Authorities yesterday evacuated more than 3,000 people ahead of approaching Tropical Storm Fung-wong, which is expected to make landfall between Kaohsiung and Pingtung County this evening. Fung-wong was yesterday morning downgraded from a typhoon to a tropical storm as it approached the nation’s southwest coast, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, as it issued a land alert for the storm. The alert applies to residents in Tainan, Kaohsiung, Pingtung and Taitung counties, and the Hengchun Peninsula (恆春). As of press time last night, Taichung, Tainan, Kaohsiung, and Yilan, Miaoli, Changhua, Yunlin, Pingtung and Penghu counties, as well as Chiayi city and county had
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) yesterday issued a sea alert for Typhoon Fung-wong (鳳凰) as it threatened vessels operating in waters off the Pratas Islands (Dongsha Islands, 東沙群島), the Bashi Channel and south of the Taiwan Strait. A land alert is expected to be announced some time between late last night and early this morning, the CWA said. As of press time last night, Taoyuan, as well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties had declared today a typhoon day, canceling work and classes. Except for a few select districts in Taipei and New Taipei City, all other areas and city
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