- Taiwan’s National Security Bureau reports 2.63M daily cyberattacks from China in 2025, up 6% year-on-year
- Attacks often coincided with military patrols or political events, seen as part of China’s “hybrid war” strategy
- Chinese-linked groups like Volt Typhoon and Brass Typhoon conduct espionage and data theft aligned with national interests
Critical infrastructure organizations in Taiwan are under an ever-increasing barrage of cyberattacks coming from its progressively aggressive neighbor, China.
The Taiwanese National Security Bureau published new data on the number of cyber-attacks coming from China, and claims that incidents against hospitals, banks, government agencies, and similar, increased 6% in 2025, compared to the year before.
In total, there were 2.63 million attacks – every day. Compared to 2023, when Taiwan first started tracking these statistics, the number of attacks has allegedly increased by 113%.
Who is the world’s “cyber-bully”?
“Such a trend indicates a deliberate attempt by China to compromise Taiwan’s crucial infrastructure comprehensively and to disrupt or paralyze Taiwanese government and social functions,” the report states.
The Bureau argues that these incursions are part of a “hybrid war” the country is waging against Taiwan, as it becomes more and more vocal about “reclaiming sovereignty” over the democratically ruled island.
In many instances, the cyberattacks overlapped with significant military and political events. For example, China launched 40 “joint combat readiness patrols” – military planes and ships – close to Taiwan’s shores, and in 23 such occasions, cyberattacks followed.
The attacks also took place when President Lai Ching-te gave a speech marking his first year in office, and when Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim spoke at a meeting with lawmakers at the European Parliament in November. “China’s moves align with its strategic need to employ hybrid threats against Taiwan during both peacetime and wartime,” the report said.
According to Reuters, China did not respond to the report or its claims. Generally speaking the country denies any involvement in any cyberattacks by default, and usually describes the US as the world’s biggest “cyber-bully”.
Still, cybersecurity researchers have seen many Chinese-speaking hacking collectives, such as Volt Typhoon, Brass Typhoon, or Salt Typhoon, engaging in activities that perfectly align with Chinese national interests, such as cyber-espionage and data theft.
Via Reuters
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