The National Security Bureau (NSB) Web site was attacked more than 35,000 times in the first half of this year, with 30 percent of the attacks originating in China, a report said yesterday.
The Chinese-language Apple Daily said that statistics from the bureau showed its Web site was attacked 35,638 times from January through June, translating into one attack every 25 minutes.
NON-STOP
Based on Internet provider 10,346 attacks came from China. In other words, Chinese hackers attacked the bureau’s Web site 2.38 times per hour.
The bureau said all 35,638 attacks were identified and blocked.
Seventy-seven percent of the attacks were attempts to take control of the Web site, 11 percent were viruses and 3 percent were attempts to access computer systems and programs.
The report cited bureau’s officials as saying that computer warfare was a significant threat to national security, as successful intrusions could result in the acquisition of classified information.
As such, the bureau has put an increasing amount of resources into protecting its many computer systems, including making regular systems upgrades to ensure the security of sensitive information.
NATIONAL SECURITY
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lin Yu-fang (林郁方) was quoted as saying that most hackers attempted to access computer systems solely for the thrill of intrusion and proving their hacking skills, adding that there was often no political purpose behind such attacks.
Nevertheless, Lin said, Taiwan could not rule out the possibility that the Chinese government was behind at least some of the attacks, particularly considering their sustained nature.
Former Democratic Progressive Party caucus whip Chai Trong-rong (蔡同榮) yesterday said Chinese hackers were notorious for targeting Taiwan’s national security apparatus, including the Ministry of National Defense and the NSB.
COMPUTER WARFARE
Although it is widely accepted that the President Ma Ying-jeou’s (馬英九) administration has improved cross-strait relations demonstrably and both expanded and improved contacts with Beijing, Chinese computer warfare against Taiwan has continued regardless of such overtures, Chai said.
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