Cyberattacks on Taiwan Government Departments Doubled in 2024, Report Says

The average daily cyberattacks on Taiwan government departments doubled in 2024 compared to the previous year, reaching 2.4 million per day, according to a report from the island’s National Security Bureau. The majority of these attacks were attributed to Chinese cyber forces.

Taiwan has long accused China of employing “grey-zone harassment” tactics, which include military drills, surveillance balloons, and an escalating wave of cyberattacks. These actions coincide with Beijing’s efforts to pressure the democratically governed island into accepting its sovereignty claims.

The report detailed that Taiwan’s Government Service Network (GSN) experienced a sharp rise in attacks, up from a daily average of 1.2 million in 2023 to 2.4 million last year. The bureau highlighted that telecommunications, transportation, and defense sectors were among the primary targets of these cyber intrusions.

“While many attacks were effectively detected and blocked, their growing frequency underscores the increasing severity of China’s hacking activities,” the report stated.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office did not respond to requests for comment. Beijing routinely denies involvement in cyberattacks but has been repeatedly accused by foreign governments, including the United States, which recently alleged Chinese hackers accessed sensitive documents from the U.S. Treasury Department.

The Taiwanese report also revealed that some cyberattacks coincided with Chinese military exercises around the island, including distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks designed to disrupt transportation and financial institutions. These operations, it claimed, were intended to “amplify harassment and military intimidation.”

Last year, China conducted two large-scale military exercises around Taiwan, named Joint Sword 2024A in May and 2024B in October, during which cyberattacks against Taiwan reportedly intensified.

The report further accused China of targeting the emails of Taiwanese civil servants and employing advanced cyber techniques, including advanced persistent threats and backdoor software, to infiltrate critical infrastructure such as highways and ports.

“These efforts aim to disrupt government operations and secure strategic advantages in politics, military, technology, and economic fields,” the report concluded.

Taiwan has repeatedly called for greater international cooperation to counter China’s cyber threats, warning that the growing intensity of such activities poses significant risks to regional stability.