TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan’s National Security Bureau on Monday warned that government networks faced more than 170 million attempted cyber intrusions in the first quarter, raising concerns about possible interference in local elections scheduled for November.
The bureau said the attacks targeted the Government Service Network, CNA reported. It said the activity may have been aimed at influencing the November local elections.
The bureau said the operations may have included intelligence gathering, surveillance, and data theft. Officials warned that China may also use disinformation to shape public opinion.
“Such tactics may include AI-generated deepfakes and false opinion polls,” the bureau said. “These methods aim to deepen social divisions and affect policy direction,” per Yahoo News.
The bureau said more than 420 Chinese military aircraft entered Taiwan’s air defense zone in the first quarter. It added that joint naval and air patrols were conducted to test Taiwan’s response capabilities, Economic Daily News reported.
Officials said Chinese vessels continued operating near Taiwan’s outlying islands. They said some ships turned off identification systems to avoid detection, per Liberty Times.
The bureau warned of risks to critical infrastructure, including undersea cables. It said some incidents involved vessels suspected of being linked to China.
Officials said they identified more than 13,000 suspicious online accounts between January and March. They added that more than 860,000 pieces of false or misleading information were detected, per Up Media.
The bureau urged continued vigilance as Taiwan approaches the local elections in November. It said China may expand “hybrid” tactics, including economic incentives and tourism policies, to influence voters.
