The Executive Yuan is considering establishing a national cybersecurity center to bolster the nation’s information security capabilities, and foster cybersecurity talent dedicated to research and development in the police force and the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB), as well as private entities, sources said yesterday.
The center would also promote international collaboration and joint research projects, the sources said.
The center, at an estimated cost of NT$818 million (US$27.72 million), would be established by 2022, they said, adding that it would be a collaborative project by the Executive Yuan’s Board of Science and Technology, and the National Center for Cyber Security Technology.
Photo: CNA
The center would allow the government to foster better cybersecurity personnel, the sources said, adding that the first phase of the program would focus on police officers and MJIB officials who have performed well.
Future efforts would target individuals who have the potential to become top-notch cybersecurity personnel in industry, academia or the corporate sector, or those who pursue a career in government, they said.
The center would address the nation’s need to boost Internet security, as malware is becoming increasingly sophisticated and requires more aggressive screening and preventive technologies, the sources added.
The 5G network, as well as a heavy focus on artificial intelligence technologies, is giving rise to new forms of cybersecurity threats, which would necessitate more innovative technologies to counter them, they said.
Increased computational capability is rendering the previous generation of encryption software protocols obsolete and new encryption protocols must be developed to ensure cybersecurity, a task the center would shoulder, they said.
While every government agency has appointed a separate head of cybersecurity, in accordance with the Cyber Security Enactment Act (資通安全管理法), the existence of many vacant positions shows that the government lacks sufficient qualified personnel, a deficiency the project hopes to rectify, they said.
The funds needed for the center’s establishment are being deliberated at the Legislative Yuan and are expected to be approved by the end of the year, they added.
Taiwan-US collaboration on cybersecurity has always been close and the nation is to launch similar collaboration with Germany and Australia, the sources said.
President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) places great emphasis on cybersecurity, Vice President William Lai (賴清德) has said.
Taiwan’s position in the first island chain makes it a natural target for China, and the invisible but “deadly” cyberwar against China is being waged every day at government agencies, and corporate and industrial companies, Lai told the Hacks in Taiwan Conference on Friday.
Chinese hackers have long targeted national secrets and the source codes used at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (台積電), as well as manufacturing processes and technologies, Lai said, adding that Taiwan cannot become complacent.
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