A government body tasked with overseeing the protection of the nation’s sensitive information and networks on Friday released details of a draft bill online that calls for crucial infrastructure organizations to improve information handling.
As part of efforts to tackle threats to the nation’s communications networks and sensitive information, the Information Security Office has been pushing for the enactment of an information security management act since the body’s establishment on Aug. 1.
Details of the proposed bill were made public on Friday on the National Development Council’s online portal as it seeks public feedback.
The bill defines official mechanisms that would oversee the security of sensitive information from attacks by China and elsewhere. It also lays out plans for protecting the information and networks of eight major industry facilities, including those of energy providers and transportation companies, and proposes that fines for the failure of those industries to protect their information would amount to as much as NT$2 million (US$63,837) per offense.
The 24-article bill lays out policies related to information security, the development of cyberdefense technology and international cooperation on cyberdefense. It also defines responsibility and regulations related to the retention, management and protection of information by official organizations and defines plans for the improvement and implementation of systems for information protection.
The bill aims to stipulate that directors of government bodies be responsible for assigning vice directors or other capable people within their organizations to head an information security group, adding that the group would then be tasked with promoting and supervising the protection of their organization’s secure information.
The bill indicates that departments that effectively implement information protection measures would be rewarded, though it does not specify how.
Conversely, those individuals and departments that fail to protect information, thereby leading to harm to the nation’s interests, would be investigated and brought to justice through fines and other measures, it suggested, adding those that would be required to implement the new measures are energy providers, water reservoirs, communications network administrators and broadcasters, transportation companies, banks and financial organizations, hospitals and emergency respondents, central and local government organizations, and high-tech corporations.
Aside from fines for failure to protect information and facilities, fines of up to NT$1 million may be incurred for failure to report to the office on incidents related to the protection of secure information, the draft said.
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