Cyber-Operations Groups Target Taiwanese Organizations with Phishing Emails and Zero-Day Exploits

China’s cyber-operations groups have targeted Taiwanese organizations, including government agencies, telecommunications firms, and transportation, using phishing emails and zero-day exploits. This increase in attacks is significantly higher than in 2023, with an average of over 2.4 million attack attempts per day.

Taiwan Experiences Surge in Cyberattacks

According to an annual analysis published by Taiwan’s National Security Bureau (NSB), the Taiwanese government and telecommunications sector have been the primary targets of these attacks. The number of security events targeting the telecommunications sector has risen by more than sixfold, as reported by the NSB.

China’s Cyberattacks on Taiwan

"China has continued to intensify its cyberattacks against Taiwan," stated the NSB in the report. "By applying diverse hacking techniques, China has conducted reconnaissance, set cyber ambushes, and stolen data through hacking operations targeting Taiwan’s government, CI [critical infrastructure] and key private enterprises."

State-Sponsored Hacking Groups

China’s cyberattacks on Taiwan are attributed to state-sponsored hacking groups, according to Trend Micro’s Clay. He emphasizes that the primary goal of these attacks is to acquire sensitive information for political advantage, military advantage, and economic advantage.

Improving Cybersecurity in the Region

Companies doing business in the region should take steps to improve their cybersecurity, detect sophisticated attacks, and find ways to slow down attackers. Armis’ Freeman suggests using deceptive techniques that seed a network with faux assets that act as detectors of malicious activity. These techniques can detect likely attacks and even slow down attackers when they discover the deception.

Effectiveness of Deceptive Technology

"Once an adversary knows that you’re using some form of deception, they’re much more cautious in the way they proceed in your environment," says Freeman. "They don’t know the scale of it. They don’t know what types of technology you are using. It’s putting them at a greater disadvantage."

Raising Attackers’ Costs

With the frequency of cyberattacks expected to continue rising in the Asia-Pacific region, raising attackers’ costs and slowing them down should be considered a win, according to Freeman.