China drives mounting cyberattacks, disinformation against Taiwan

Average daily cyber intrusions aimed at Taiwan were reported by its National Security Bureau to have reached 2.8 million this year, with the 17% increase from 2024 attributed to China's more aggressive cyberattacks and online disinformation operations, according to The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future.

Influence operations involving state-contolled media and an online troll army spreading artificial intelligence-generated memes and videos, as well as other fabricated content targeted at the Taiwanese government and advancing pro-China sentiment, have been leveraged by Beijing as part of a state-level cyber strategy that also entailed cyberespionage and data exfiltration, the NSB report revealed.

"Beyond intelligence theft, these operations integrate dark web, internet forum, and media channels to disseminate fabricated content," said the NSB. Such findings come after Chinese state-sponsored threat operation TA415 was reported by Proofpoint researchers to have intensified intrusions against Taiwan's semiconductor sector. All accusations of cyberespionage and hacking activities have long been refuted by China.