Digital Minister Audrey Tang (唐鳳) told lawmakers that all critical information kept by government agencies will be protected from hacking by the end of 2024.
During a hearing at the Legislative Yuan on Wednesday, Tang responded to legislators’ concerns about last year’s massive data breach that saw 23 million household registry records put up for sale online. Tang said the data was not stolen through hacking, but taken out on an optical disc. She assured the lawmakers that security loopholes have been identified and fixed.
Tang also pledged to speed up digital security upgrades in the public sector. Her team aims to minimize the risk of another breach by launching the government data transmission platform T-Road. Another measure is a zero-trust triple authentication mechanism for government databases.
Responding to personal data breaches at private companies, the National Institute of Cyber Security together with the authorities established a standard procedure for conducting investigations of security incidents. It offers expertise and recommendations on better practices. Tang added that while private companies are not subject to Taiwan’s cybersecurity laws, they can refer to standard operating procedures compiled by the ministry.