New Power Party (NPP) lawmakers yesterday called on the Executive Yuan to launch an investigation into allegations by anonymous whistle-blowers who say that hackers had stolen more than 23 million pieces of information from the Ministry of the Interior’s Department of Household Registration and sold them online.
Since the first report of the alleged breach in October, government agencies have remained inactive, even claiming that the information was “outdated,” NPP legislators Claire Wang (王婉諭) and Chiu Hsien-chih (邱顯智) said.
Last month, an account on the BreachedForum Web site sold 23.57 million pieces of information allegedly stolen from the department’s Web site, the lawmakers said.
Photo: Chen Chih-chu, Taipei Times
The same user in October also sold allegedly stolen information, they added.
The information included names, national identification card numbers, marital statuses, the names of the individual’s parents and children, their residency address and other personal information, the lawmakers cited the whistle-blowers as saying.
Wang said that the data must originate from the government because no other entity has such detailed information.
However, the government has denied any leaks.
The format of the information was “distinct from the household registration system” and compiled from “old data,” the government said, adding that such information was exclusively stored in internal networks.
The lawmakers said that the government owes Taiwanese an explanation and should investigate the matter, especially as it is a large-scale leak of sensitive data.
The government’s obfuscation and attempts to shirk responsibility are irresponsible, Chiu said, calling on the government to observe Article 12 of the Personal Data Protection Act (個人資料保護法), which stipulates that it must inform those affected by leaks of government data.
Citing data from the Ministry of Civil Services, Chiu said that as of last year, cybersecurity experts accounted for less than 1 percent of civil service employees.
Government agencies employing only 3,500 such experts shows that there is a long-time shortage, Chiu said, urging the government to end its reliance on external cybersecurity expertise.
Chiu said that the same BreachedForum account is also offering 28.11 million pieces of information allegedly stolen from the Bureau of Labor Insurance, as well as 1.68 million pieces of stock exchange transaction information.
Chiu said it is the responsibility of the Executive Yuan and the Ministry of Digital Development to bolster the security of government data.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS