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.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS