Chinese Hackers Double Cyber-Attacks on Taiwan
Taiwanese government networks experienced a daily average of 2.4 million cyber-attacks in 2024, most of which were attributed to Chinese state-backed hackers. This represents double the daily average from 2023 which saw 1.2 million daily attacks targeting government networks, Taiwan’s National Security Bureau said in a new report. “Although many of those attacks have been effectively detected and blocked, the growing numbers of attacks pinpoint the increasingly severe nature of China’s hacking activities,” the Bureau warned. The report also highlighted a substantial rise in People’s Republic of China (PRC) cyber-attacks targeting critical industries in Taiwan. These include telecommunications (650% increase), transportation (70%), and defined supply chain (57%). Security researchers have also observed significant Chinese cyber-attack activity in Taiwan over recent years amid rising geopolitical tensions around the Island territory’s self-governing status. How Chinese Hackers Target Taiwan The report highlighted a range of techniques employed by People’s Republic of China (PRC) hackers and noted that attacks against Taiwanese government agencies are typically designed to steal confidential data. The Bureau said the People’s Republic of China (PRC) hackers often exploit vulnerabilities in Netcom devices and utilize evasion techniques such as living off the land. Social engineering techniques have also been deployed which target the emails of Taiwanese civil servants for espionage purposes. China uses a range of tactics to infiltrate and compromise Taiwan’s critical infrastructure systems, such as highways and ports, to disrupt the Island’s transportation and logistics. Other cyber-attack tactics include phishing attacks, compromise of zero-day vulnerabilities, and use of Trojans and backdoors. Additionally, DDoS attacks are used to “harass” and “intimidate” Taiwan when carried out in the Island’s transportation and financial sectors. At the same time, China conducts military drills in the area, the Bureau noted. Other commonly observed Chinese attacks against Taiwanese targets include: Ransomware and other cybercrime techniques against manufacturing companies Theft of information about patented technologies developed by start-ups Stealing personal data of Taiwanese nationals and selling that information on the dark web The Bureau said the hack and leak of Taiwanese citizens’ data helps generate profits and are also designed to undermine the credibility of the Taiwanese government. “China has continued to intensify its cyber-attacks against Taiwan. By applying diverse hacking techniques, China has conducted reconnaissance, set cyber-attack ambushes, and stolen data through hacking operations targeting Taiwan’s government, critical infrastructure, and key private enterprises,” the Bureau wrote. The report also highlighted the success of Taiwan’s joint security defines a mechanism for ensuring that threat information is shared in real-time among intelligence sources and government agencies.