The Presidential Office’s information security budget would be increased by 50 percent next year, as it faces an overwhelming 400,000 cyberattacks per month on its computer systems, officials said yesterday.
The legislature’s Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee yesterday held the latest in a series of meetings examining annual budgets for next year, during which legislators raised the issue of information security.
As part of its budget for next year, the Presidential Office allocated NT$38.97 million (US$1.37 million) to “administrative work for preserving information security.”
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
The funds would go toward software and equipment to defend the office’s computer systems against malware and information leaks, Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) said.
As a government agency, the office is required to protect its information, as stipulated in the Information and Communication Security Management Act (資通安全管理法), he said.
The office’s cybersecurity budget is about NT$13 million more than was budgeted last year, he said, adding that it was also allocating NT$733,000 to research and develop a better cybersecurity plan.
Ho Chuan-te (何全德), who is in charge of cybersecurity at the Presidential Office, said that it would take a more proactive approach regarding cyberdefenses.
The office would focus on installing antivirus software more widely and better equipping the server room, he said, adding that it would invite researchers to advise on how to prevent attacks form cyber blackmailers.
The government has also required that all computer systems and mobile devices used by government employees be Taiwanese brands, and prohibited the use of Chinese-made devices, he said, adding that all servers used by the Presidential Office follow the Ministry of National Defense’s specifications.
The office would introduce more stringent specifications for private mobile devices used by office personnel, he added.
Meanwhile, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lee Guei-min (李貴敏) said that the increased budget should be discussed further, proposing that the NT$733,000 for research be cut from the budget pending discussion.
Separately, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said that NT$500,000 of the budget should be frozen, but the proposal was dismissed.
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