Taiwan government network records 185.6 million cyberattacks in July — Taipei Times

In Taiwan, the government’s Government Service Network suffered 185.6 million cyberattacks in July. Taiwan’s National Security Bureau (NSB) said the surge in attacks, which likely originated from China, may indicate preparations for large-scale interference ahead of the November 28 elections, Taipei Times reports.

Sharp rise in attacks

An NSB report for the Legislative Yuan states that the number of attacks on the network rose sharply from June to July. In July, the network faced an average of 2.58 million attacks per day, while the total number of attacks recorded during the month exceeded the combined figure for the entire first quarter of the year.

The bureau does not rule out that the July wave of attacks is part of Beijing’s plan to influence the upcoming local elections. In the first half of the year, Chinese hackers, according to Taiwan’s security service, targeted academic institutions, the telecommunications sector and defence industry supply chains.

According to the NSB, these actions targeted critical infrastructure, Taiwan’s ability to govern and conduct defence policy, cooperation with other governments, as well as the theft of sensitive technologies.

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AI and disinformation

The NSB said that the cyberwarfare linked to Beijing is becoming more sophisticated, with hackers using artificial intelligence at various stages of attacks: to search for vulnerabilities and targets, identify zero-day exploits and distribute malware via email. According to the bureau, automation has increased the pace of operations and the effectiveness of finding gaps in Taiwan’s defences.

The bureau also believes that Beijing may combine technological means and human resources to influence elections through issues that divide Taiwanese society, including energy, food safety and defence. Possible tools include fake opinion polls, false reports about electoral races and AI-generated content.

From January to July, suspicious accounts published 2.5 million posts containing conflicting or controversial information — 48% more than the 1.69 million recorded during the corresponding period a year earlier. Facebook accounted for the largest share of such content at 68.9%, while Threads accounted for 9%.