TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Cyberattacks on government agencies have been increasing, with 637 cybersecurity incidents recorded in the past six months, the National Institute of Cyber Security said Wednesday.

In its latest weekly report, the institute said it received 723 reports from government agencies and non-government entities, per CNA. Of the 637 incidents involving government agencies, 410 were classified as illegal intrusions. The institute identified four major attack patterns.

The first pattern involved attackers disguising malware as legitimate or commonly used software. Victims were tricked into downloading malicious programs that allowed hackers remote control access.

The second pattern involved worm infections spread through portable media devices like USB drives. Once inserted into computers, the infected devices executed malicious code and could enable unauthorized communications.

The third pattern was phishing emails disguised as official correspondence. Such messages asked recipients to open attachments or click links, allowing attackers to implant malware or obtain sensitive information.

The fourth pattern was watering hole attacks targeting websites frequently visited by civil servants. Compromised sites contained embedded malicious code that triggered downloads during routine browsing.

The institute recommended strengthening endpoint protection and monitoring abnormal behavior. It also urged tighter controls on portable media use and software downloads.