Premier Simon Chang (張善政) yesterday said that the abolition of the Taiwan Information Security Center would be the “greatest regret” of his term and accused the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of failing to understand the matter before making the decision.
The Act for Establishing the National Information Safety Center (國家資通安全科技中心設置條例) was revoked by the Legislative Yuan on Tuesday because of its vagueness on the parameters of the authority granted to the center — only months after its passage and implementation — lawmakers who voted against it said.
Chang yesterday said there is little the Executive Yuan could do now and that it would be up to the pan-green camp to decide what to do next.
“I was only pointing out the seriousness of the issue; information security is part of national security and not something that you should arbitrarily put an end to like child’s play,” Chang said.
Chang said he worked in the field of information security for more than 10 years and believed that positioning the center as an independent administrative institution within the government structure was the most feasible and appropriate move, dismissing criticism that the center was a non-profit corporation, adding that he regrets that the law was abolished “when some of the lawmakers did not even have a clear picture of what it was.”
“The Non-Departmental Public Bodies Act (行政法人法) is exactly the law that would oversee the information security center, an independent administrative institution, just like the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology and the National Theater and Concert Hall, which are also independent administrative institutions,” Chang said.
Chang on Thursday night said in an online interview that the new Cabinet “lacks people who are familiar with [information security],” and based on his observation in the meetings between the outgoing and incoming Cabinet, “they have little understanding of it.”
The new government needs people to delve into the issue, but so far no one has the required background, he said, adding that even if someone is picked for the job now, they would take months before taking real action, adding that this window might provide an opportunity for China to invade.
“The [Chinese] cyberarmies are delighted now, I am telling you,” he said.
Additional Reporting by CNA
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