Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs reported that government agencies were targeted by AI-assisted cyberattacks originating from overseas in July. The ministry stated that the affected bodies successfully handled the incident and has since implemented enhanced protective measures.
The incident highlights the increasing sophistication of cyber threats, with the use of AI agents posing new challenges for national cybersecurity defenses and underscoring Taiwan's vulnerability to state-sponsored cyber warfare.
Taiwan's government agencies were targeted last month by AI-assisted cyberattacks originating from overseas, according to the Ministry of Digital Affairs. The ministry confirmed on Thursday that the affected bodies successfully managed the incident and that new protective measures have been put in place.
The investigation revealed that the hackers utilized a hybrid approach, combining manual operations with AI agent-assisted attacks, such as Open Claw. The ministry stated that the source, methods, and scope of the attacks were fully investigated.
This development comes amid heightened tensions between Taiwan and China, with Taiwan frequently reporting Chinese "hybrid warfare" tactics, including military drills and cyberattacks. Chinese cyberattacks on Taiwan's key infrastructure have reportedly risen, with some synchronized with military drills.
Separately, Israeli cybersecurity company Dream reported uncovering an AI-driven hacking campaign that stole credentials and data from an unnamed Asian government. The Financial Times identified the target agencies as Taiwanese, with Dream's report detailing how AI agents extracted passwords and stole personnel records from Taiwan's justice ministry over four days.