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China¡¦s hackers
shifting focus: report
CYBERWARFARE: China¡¦s cyberarmy now numbers more
than 100,000, has a budget of more than US$2.71 million and targets telecoms and
think tanks, the NSB said
By Lo Tien-pin, Rich Chang and Jake Chung / Staff reporters, with
staff writer
The National Security Bureau (NSB) believes that the Chinese military has
shifted the emphasis of cyberattacks on Taiwan from government institutions to
civilian think tanks, telecommunications service providers, Internet node
facilities and traffic signal control systems, according to an NSB report.
The report on the country¡¦s measures to stem attacks by China¡¦s hackers was
prepared for lawmakers¡¦ reference ahead of a scheduled legislative hearing on
the issue tomorrow that will be attended by NSB, Ministry of National Defense
and Criminal Investigation Bureau officials.
Amid the public¡¦s growing reliance on the convenience of online networks,
Taiwan¡¦s heavy dependence on technology means threats to Internet security are
increasing, the bureau said.
Private think tanks, information technology businesses or outsourced factories
and businesses, less well-defended network nodes, factory-grade microcomputer
controllers, cloud storage and traffic signal switches may be targeted instead
of governmental facilities and embassies, the bureau said in the report.
The bureau also cautioned that social media may be used to get close to
personnel in sensitive or key positions to gain access to their computers to
further penetrate the nation¡¦s Internet defenses.
The hackers¡¦ goal is to acquire as much control as possible over internal
Internet systems before trying to steal or forge information, or paralyze
Internet communications, the bureau said in the report.
According to the bureau, since 2002, China has extended its cyberarmy and now
there are more than 100,000 people working for it, with Beijing budgeting more
than NT$80 million (US$2.71 million) a year for the hackers.
As an agency of national defense, the bureau is a long-term and dedicated target
of Chinese hackers and was hit 3.34 million times last year, the bureau said.
However, it said the actions were reconnaissance rather than actual attacks.
About 70,000 malignant attacks ¡X averaging 209 a day ¡X were all successfully
averted, the bureau added.
The bureau takes cyberdefense seriously and has allocated funding over the past
three years to purchase specialized equipment, such as defensive software
systems, as well as prioritizing the limitation and scanning of outgoing
documents, the bureau said.
In a special note, the bureau said telecommunication providers should prioritize
national defense over financial gains, adding that the providers should try to
strengthen and implement Internet security protocols in accordance with
government policies.
Meanwhile, the Executive Yuan¡¦s Information Security Office said in a report
that among all government units, only the Council of Agriculture and the
Executive Yuan itself have met information security standards.
Saying the situation was unsatisfactory, the Executive Yuan said that branches
of the government should seek to have every office, branch or unit under their
jurisdiction pass the Information Security Management System testing standards
to ensure online security.
Additional reporting by CNA
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