Taiwan's National Administration for Cybersecurity has announced its intention to broaden the scale of national cybersecurity attack and defense exercises during 2026. This strategic expansion aims to bring more Critical Infrastructure (CI) operators into the national readiness program to strengthen the island's digital defenses.[1]
The Taiwanese government has designated several essential sectors as critical infrastructure, including energy, water resources, telecommunications, transportation, and banking. Other vital areas include emergency services, hospitals, science parks, and industrial parks. Under the Regulations for Classification of Cyber Security Responsibility Levels, these entities are categorized based on the potential impact of a system failure.
Class A CI operators are defined as organizations whose information and communication systems would cause a catastrophic or extremely severe impact on public interests, safety, or morale if compromised.
Class B operators are those whose disruption would lead to severe consequences under similar circumstances. The 2026 drills will specifically include Class B entities, such as regional water resource agencies and hospitals, to leverage the cybersecurity capabilities of the private sector and local authorities.
This policy change follows reports of intensifying hostile activity. According to data from the National Security Bureau, there were an average of 2.63 million attempted breaches of Taiwan’s critical infrastructure every day last year. This represents a six per cent increase compared to 2024. Observations suggest a tactical shift by attackers linked to China, moving away from conventional data theft towards the active disruption of essential services.
There was a significant increase in breaches targeting energy infrastructure, emergency services, and hospitals last year. Officials believe this indicates a desire to disrupt daily life and social stability. Critical infrastructure is considered most vulnerable when legacy systems contain loopholes or when older technology is difficult to replace. Whilst the integration of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) enhances efficiency, it simultaneously creates new entry points for external intrusion.
Government agencies face additional risks from outsourced systems, inadequate supply chain management, and excessive account privileges. A lack of cybersecurity awareness among some workers further complicates the landscape. To counter these issues, the government’s CI protection team performs annual inspections and works with field personnel to identify potential threats.
A dedicated digital cyber range has been established to simulate real industrial control system environments. This facility enables realistic tabletop exercises to verify incident response capabilities. The 2026 exercises will focus on assessing external-facing assets and assisting agencies with asset management and vulnerability remediation efforts.
As Taiwan’s legal framework for cybersecurity matures, officials believe that enterprises must view supply chain security as a core governance responsibility rather than a secondary IT issue. Adopting international best practices and robust contracting strategies is considered essential for meeting regulatory expectations. Addressing existing gaps in protection will help Taiwan maintain a resilient economy and build trustworthy digital networks in an increasingly interconnected and volatile global environment.
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[1] https://www.cybersecurityintelligence.com/blog/taiwan-expands-cyber-security-drills-for-infrastructure-operators-9451.html
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