Speaking at the opening ceremony of the CYBERSEC 2025 Taiwan Cybersecurity Conference on Tuesday, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) highlighted Chinese hacker activity against Taiwan. He says the government will strengthen security for key infrastructure in telecommunications, transportation, and finance.
Lai says that Taiwan not only faces military pressure from China but also bears the brunt of their cyberattacks. He adds that in 2023, Taiwanese government networks contended with an average of 2.4 million cyberattacks per day. Recent months have seen increased ransomware attacks on hospitals, schools, and companies, with investigations showing these attacks are related to Chinese hackers.
Lai emphasizes that the government has made information security a core part of national security. When he previously served as Cabinet Premier, he worked to promote the development of legislation managing information security, as well as the establishment of the Digital Affairs Ministry and the National Institute of Cyber Security. Since taking office as president, Lai says he has further established information security response strategies, most recently announcing a national information and communications security strategy for 2025 as well as a development plan for coming years.
The president says the government’s goals include strengthening digital resilience, enriching the information security industry ecosystem, and building defense technology. They will continue to promote the development of domestic information security products and encourage investment. Lai stresses that ensuring Taiwan’s digital security can only be accomplished by deepening international cooperation.