TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Cyberattacks, misinformation, IT bots, and the spread of AI-generated content imperil Taiwan’s democracy and the validity of elections worldwide.

Even Taiwan, one of the most tech-savvy places in the world, had to contend with cybersecurity surrounding its most recent elections. According to Taiwan government data, five million cyberattacks and probes were recorded one day before the Jan. 20 elections. 

Over the past two decades, Taiwan has been a target of increasing cyberattacks, following a worldwide trend that calls for more solutions to enhance online security. As the home to 21.7 million internet users, almost 91% of the population, a higher degree of caution is needed to protect against cyber crimes as more and more citizens are online. 

Other countries such as Indonesia have faced similar threats like the use of AI to create deepfake videos of long-deceased dictators according to CNN. In India, leading newspapers such as The Hindu report IT bots are spreading misinformation and fanning the flames of hate speech.

In response, NordVPN Hong Kong and Taiwan Country Manager Ugnė Mikalajūnaitė said, “VPNs are an essential part of the toolkit for defending against cyberattacks. Our data is perpetually at risk from entities as varied as nation-states to solitary hackers." Mikalajūnaitė equates VPNs to digital "digital armor, encrypting data to ward off the pervasive threats of our time."

And it is not just government agencies under attack, but also private enterprises.

For example, Taiwan is facing a growing number of e-commerce companies targeted by ransomware attacks. Taiwanese authorities have responded by increasing legal penalties for disclosing private data, raising pressure on private enterprises to invest more in cybersecurity.

According to Statista Market Insights, revenue from Taiwan’s cybersecurity market is projected to reach NT$26.8 billion (US$830 million) this year, and it is expected to grow by 11% annually to reach US$40.7 billion by 2028.