Cybersecurity – Taiwan Insight

Disinformation in the January 2020 Taiwan Elections

4 March 2021 Editor

Written by Nicholas Welch. Approaching the January 2020 Taiwan elections, many Taiwanese and international spectators broadly feared PRC-based disinformation operations weakening Taiwan’s democratic institutions. In particular, many feared Russian-style “covert social influence via the use of bots and fake persona accounts,” which would sway public opinion en masse. Nevertheless, when the dust settled, it remained unclear whether the PRC propagated that form of disinformation at all. Before the election, and although no substantial evidence for such claims exists, the international community pre-emptively accused the PRC of spreading disinformation.

Technology without Authoritarian Characteristics: An Assessment of the Taiwan Model of Combating COVID-19

24 November 2020 Editor

Written by Emily Weinstein. Nearly ten months after scientists identified COVID-19, China, South Korea, Taiwan, New Zealand, and other countries are seeing a return to semi-normal life, albeit with mask-wearing and other precautionary measures. In most cases, these successes have been born from the deployment of various technologies aimed at monitoring citizens who have been exposed to the virus. At the same time, government use of these technologies is alarming privacy and human-rights advocates, particularly in countries with inadequate track records in personal freedoms for citizens. Is there a happy technological medium that respects personal privacy while simultaneously managing the spread of this pandemic?

In between giants: how a EU-Taiwan partnership could ensure digital benefits for all

29 July 2020 Editor

Written by Maaike Okano-Heijmans and Brigitte Dekker. The protection of digital freedom of speech, transparency and inclusiveness is at stake as governments resort to (sometimes intrusive) digital means to monitor and combat the coronavirus. At the same time, economic competitiveness in the digital age requires innovative approaches, as the US-China rivalry profoundly reshapes the global tech landscape and global governance. This is where Taiwan and the European Union (EU) have similar interests and stand to benefit from exchanging best practices.

Cybersecurity as national security, and economic opportunity, in Taiwan

14 November 2018 Editor

Written by Robyn Klingler-Vidra. More than 2 billion data records were stolen in 2017, according to CB Insights. As the sophistication and deviousness of hackers

Developing Taiwan’s Cybersecurity Industry: Is Israel a Good Model?

12 November 2018 Editor

Written by Philip Hsu. In late 2016, the Taiwanese technology magazine iThome ran a series of articles extolling the virtues of Israel’s cyber security industry