TAIPEI — Cyberattacks on Taiwan's government agencies doubled in 2024 compared to the previous year, with an average of 2.4 million attacks per day, according to the National Security Bureau. Most of these attacks were attributed to Chinese cyber forces. Taiwan has frequently expressed concerns about China's "grey-zone harassment," which includes daily military drills, surveillance balloons, and cyberattacks, as Beijing increases its pressure on the island to accept its sovereignty claims.

The National Security Bureau's report, released on January 5, revealed that Taiwan's Government Service Network (GSN) faced an average of 2.4 million attacks per day in 2024, up from 1.2 million daily attacks in 2023. The report stated that the majority of these attacks were linked to China, with sectors like telecommunications, transportation, and defense being the primary targets.

While many attacks have been successfully detected and blocked, the rising number of cyber incidents highlights the intensifying nature of China's hacking efforts. China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not respond to requests for comment.

China consistently denies involvement in hacking activities but is often accused by countries like the United States, which recently claimed that Chinese hackers stole documents from the US Treasury Department.

The Taiwanese report indicated that some of the cyberattacks were timed to coincide with Chinese military drills near Taiwan, including Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks aimed at disrupting access to Taiwanese transportation and financial websites. These attacks were seen as part of China's strategy to increase harassment and military intimidation.

In addition to military-related cyberattacks, China targeted Taiwanese civil servants' emails and used social engineering tactics to steal confidential data. The report also highlighted the use of advanced persistent threats and backdoor software by Chinese cyber forces to infiltrate and damage Taiwan's vital infrastructure, such as highways and ports. These efforts aim to disrupt Taiwan's government operations and gain political, military, technological, and economic advantages.

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