Taiwan has stepped up cybersecurity cooperation with the US and intends to take part in planned cybersecurity exercises, a senior Taiwanese official stationed in Washington said on Thursday.
“Cybersecurity cooperation is an important part of Taiwan-US relations,” Deputy Representative to the US Leo Lee (李澄然) said, adding that this cooperation includes information exchanges and assistance in manpower training.
“Joint training exercises are also good for cooperation and we look forward to taking part in drills being planned by the US authorities,” Lee said.
However, the two sides have yet to formally talk about cooperation in this area, he said.
Representative to the US King Pu-tsung (金溥聰) had lunch with senior officials from the US Department of Homeland Security earlier on Thursday and cybersecurity was one of the issues discussed.
The US government is working to toughen its cybersecurity measures after computer systems at major public institutions and corporations reportedly fell victim to an unprecedented rash of cyberattacks from China-based hackers.
The White House has listed the war against cyberattacks on major US government institutions and large conglomerates as one of its top priorities.
The US Department of State, the US Trade Representative Office and the US Department of Commerce have all begun to draft measures and administrative strategies to minimize the risks of business secrets or classified information being stolen by hackers.
Washington-based security experts and academics have described Chinese cyberattacks against major institutions in the US capital as rampant and ubiquitous, with the targets ranging from law firms, think tanks and media outlets to human rights groups, congressional offices and government agencies.
Lee said the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the US pays a great deal of attention to cybersecurity because Taiwan has also been a primary target of Chinese cyberattacks.
Lee said each staff member at the office has two computers, one of which is used for Internet searches, while the other has a physical isolation switch that disconnects it from the Internet.
The arrangement aims to prevent any leaks of sensitive information, Lee said.
Moreover, he said, Taiwan’s security agencies regularly send personnel to the country’s overseas offices to inspect their cybersecurity measures and facilities.
“We spare no effort to ensure cybersecurity,” Lee added.
SAFETY IN REGULATION: The proposal states that Chiayi should assess whether it is viable to establish such a district and draft rules to protect clients and sex workers The Chiayi City Council passed a motion yesterday to assess the viability of establishing a regulated red-light district. The council yesterday held its last session of the year, at which its fiscal 2024 budget was approved, along with 61 other proposals. The proposal to assess the viability of establishing a red-light district was put forward by independent Chiayi City Councilor Molly Yen (顏色不分藍綠支持性專區顏色田慎節). The proposal cited 2011 amendments to the Social Order Maintenance Act (社會秩序維護法), which stipulate that city and county governments can pass autonomous regulations on the sex trade to manage the industry and guarantee industry workers’ rights. A ban on the
STABILITY AND CHANGE: Flagging in recent polls, Ko this week pledged to maintain President Tsai’s foreign policy, with an emphasis on improving China relations Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) yesterday reiterated that he is “deep-green at heart” in response to accusations that he is pivoting his campaign to align closer with the ideology of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the face of flagging polls. Ko made the remark at an agricultural policy conference in Taipei, repeating his comments from an interview with CTS News a day earlier. Ko told the CTS host that he would continue to pursue President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) national defense and foreign policy in general, but with an emphasis on establishing a rapport with
CHINA illness surge: Of 88 travelers from China, Hong Kong and Macau with respiratory symptoms who were encouraged to get tested upon arrival, 70.6% had the flu Two hundred and sixty people with COVID-19 were hospitalized and 31 deaths related to the virus were reported last week — the highest numbers in four weeks, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday, adding that cases are expected to peak next month. CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) said that of the 260 people hospitalized last week with moderate to severe COVID-19, 98 percent had not received the Omicron XBB.1.5-adapted COVID-19 vaccine. Among the people hospitalized this year, 78 percent were aged 65 or older, while most of the those who were hospitalized or died have or had
Taiwanese who have recently traveled to China for tourism, to visit friends or relatives or for business reasons have been interrogated, detained and faced other forms of unreasonable treatment from Chinese officials, a source said on Sunday. Among them was a Taiwanese who was detained for eight hours at an airport in China due to their research, which is related to religion, while others have had their travel documents for China canceled for a number of reasons, the source said. In July, China expanded the scope of its counterespionage law, and recently announced a draft amendment to the law on the protection
RSS