Chinese hackers have attacked at least ten Taiwanese administrations and hacked some 6,000 email accounts in an attempt to steal data, IT security officials said on Wednesday (August 19th).
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The damage caused by this computer intrusion is " not negligible, " said an official from the Taiwan Bureau of Cyber Security Investigation, adding that the extent of the attack was being assessed. According to the Cyber Security Investigation Bureau, two well-known Chinese hacker groups, Blacktech and Taidoor, have been targeting Taiwanese government departments and internet service providers since 2018.
" 6000 compromised email accounts "
" We know in some way that these 6000 email accounts have been compromised. We are still assessing the extent of the damage, ”Deputy Bureau Director Liu Chia-zung told AFP. " From what we know, the damage caused by this infiltration is not minor, " Liu added, stressing that cybersecurity officials wanted to warn users against this " threat ."
Taiwan has accused China of stepping up a campaign of computer attacks against it since the 2016 presidential election of Tsai Ing-wen, who rejects Beijing's view that the island is part of a " only China ”. Tsai Ing-wen was triumphantly re-elected in January, a victory highlighting voters' commitment to the island's de facto independence.
Beijing has increased diplomatic and economic pressure on Taiwan and stepped up military exercises near the island, with military jets entering its air zone at an unprecedented rate in recent weeks, beyond what is considered the border. .