The Executive Yuan has launched a special project to improve data protection across government ministries and agencies ahead of President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) second-term inauguration on Wednesday, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka said yesterday.
Kolas’ remarks came amid media reports of an alleged cyberattack on the Presidential Office on Friday, in which an e-mail account named “ser lo” purportedly sent members of the media on the office’s contact list files related to the Cabinet member selection for Tsai’s second term and assessments of vice president-elect William Lai (賴清德) from early last year, when he ran against Tsai in the Democratic Progressive Party’s presidential primary.
The Criminal Investigation Bureau on Saturday confirmed that the Presidential Office had reported the incident, adding that it had begun an investigation.
Ahead of the inauguration, the Executive Yuan has initiated a project to combat an increasing number of cyberattacks from overseas, even though the Presidential Office already has a cybersecurity team probing the suspected cyberattack and the Executive Yuan does not plan to intervene in that, Kolas said.
The Executive Yuan has set up a Security Operation Center, which would oversee efforts to protect users in non-military zones when they access government Web sites and defend against distributed denial-of-service attacks, said an Executive Yuan official, who did not want to be named.
Another center that collects and monitors data-related information has also been set up, allowing prompt alerts to be sent to regional servers to curb the spread of computer viruses when malware is detected, the official said.
Separately yesterday, a high-ranking national security official said on condition of anonymity that Friday’s alleged cyberattack was possibly hackers connected to the Chinese Communist Party attempting to hurt morale ahead of the inauguration.
The recipients of the e-mails from “ser lo” included several high-level managers in the local media, the official said, adding that the perpetrators must have been familiar with local media and politics, or been assisted by Taiwanese.
Regarding the new Cabinet, sources said that Financial Supervisory Commission Chairman Wellington Koo (顧立雄) would replace David Lee (李大維) as National Security Council secretary-general, while Lee would become the Straits Exchange Foundation chairman.
Former Democratic Progressive Party legislator Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) would become the representative to the US, while Representative to the UK David Lin (林永樂) would retire and his position would be filled by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Kelly Hsieh (謝武樵).
Presidential Secretary-General Chen Chu (陳菊) last night said on Facebook that she would be leaving her position on Wednesday.
Chen reportedly is to be nominated by Tsai to serve as president of the Control Yuan.
Additional reporting by Yang Chun-hui, Lu Yi-hsuan and CNA
Tropical Storm Gaemi strengthened into a typhoon at 2pm yesterday, and could make landfall in Yilan County tomorrow, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. The agency was scheduled to issue a sea warning at 11:30pm yesterday, and could issue a land warning later today. Gaemi was moving north-northwest at 4kph, carrying maximum sustained winds near its center of up to 118.8kph and gusts of 154.8kph. The circumference is forecast to reach eastern Taiwan tomorrow morning, with the center making landfall in Yilan County later that night before departing from the north coast, CWA weather forecaster Kuan Shin-ping (官欣平) said yesterday. Uncertainty remains and
SEA WARNING LIKELY: The storm, named Gaemi, could become a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, with the Taipei City Government preparing for flooding A tropical depression east of the Philippines developed into a tropical storm named Gaemi at 2pm yesterday, and was moving toward eastern Taiwan, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. Gaemi could begin to affect Taiwan proper on Tuesday, lasting until Friday, and could develop into a moderate typhoon on Wednesday or Thursday, it said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued as early as Tuesday morning, it added. Gaemi, the third tropical storm in the Pacific Ocean this typhoon season, is projected to begin moving northwest today, and be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday, the agency said. Today, there would likely
DISRUPTIONS: The high-speed rail is to operate as normal, while several airlines either canceled flights or announced early departures or late arrivals Schools and offices in 15 cities and counties are to be closed today due to Typhoon Gaemi, local governments announced last night. The 15 are: Taipei, New Taipei City, Taoyuan, Tainan, Keelung, Hsinchu and Kaohsiung, as well as Yilan, Hualien, Hsinchu, Miaoli, Chiayi, Pingtung, Penghu and Lienchiang counties. People should brace for torrential rainfall brought by the storm, with its center forecast to make landfall on the east coast between tonight and tomorrow morning, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The agency issued a sea warning for the typhoon at 11:30pm on Monday, followed by a land warning at 11:30am yesterday. As of
CASUALTY: A 70-year-old woman was killed by a falling tree in Kaohsiung as the premier warned all government agencies to remain on high alert for the next 24 hours Schools and offices nationwide are to be closed for a second day today as Typhoon Gaemi crosses over the nation, bringing torrential rain and whipping winds. Gaemi was forecast to make landfall late last night. From Tuesday night, its outer band brought substantial rainfall and strong winds to the nation. As of 6:15pm last night, the typhoon’s center was 20km southeast of Hualien County, Central Weather Administration (CWA) data showed. It was moving at 19kph and had a radius of 250km. As of 3pm yesterday, one woman had died, while 58 people were injured, the Central Emergency Operation Center said. The 70-year-old