Taiwanese military drills with civilian experts to test critical infrastructure cyber defenses

Taiwan's Cyber Warfare Command conducted a significant cybersecurity drill, mobilizing over 100 civilian experts to test the defenses of the nation's critical infrastructure. The exercise, integrated into the larger Han Kuang military drills, focused on evaluating the resilience and response capabilities of key sectors such as energy, transportation, and telecommunications when faced with cyberattacks.

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Information protection mobilization is an important part of building national cybersecurity resilience. In the future, we will continue to expand and deepen the military-civilian cooperation mechanism, link professional resources from all parties, improve talent cultivation and technical exchange, refine overall protection energy, ensure the safe and stable operation of our critical information infrastructure, and jointly protect national information security and digital territory.

Major General Mao Chien-chiu, commander of the Cyber Warfare Command, highlighted the importance of cyber defense mobilization as a crucial component of national cybersecurity resilience. He stressed the commitment to expanding and deepening military-civilian cooperation mechanisms, leveraging professional resources from various sectors to improve talent cultivation and technical exchange. This collaborative effort aims to enhance overall defense capabilities and ensure the stable operation of critical information infrastructure, thereby safeguarding national information security and the digital domain.

The drill involved experts from prominent industries, academia, and the information security field who reported to various locations across Taiwan. They participated in system health checks, offensive and defensive drills, threat analysis, and technical research. The objective was to comprehensively assess potential risks in important information systems and propose improvement suggestions and reinforcement plans. This initiative demonstrates a concrete outcome of military-civilian collaboration under the concept of total defense, working together to protect the digital territory.

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With the rapid evolution of digital technology, cyber threats are becoming increasingly diverse. Only by establishing closer partnerships between the government, businesses, and the public, and integrating professional technology and practical energy, can we build a more resilient cybersecurity defense line and cope with ever-changing challenges.

Participants, including experts from Taiwan's cybersecurity communities and associations, brought extensive experience in information security governance, drills, and incident response from international corporations. They emphasized that in the face of rapidly evolving digital technology and increasingly diverse cyber threats, only through closer partnerships between government, businesses, and the public, integrating professional technology and practical capabilities, can a more resilient cybersecurity defense line be built to meet ever-changing challenges. Major General Mao encouraged all civilian cybersecurity professionals to utilize their expertise to support national security work, viewing their participation not just as a practice of professional skills but as a concrete action to protect the nation.

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Make good use of your professional skills to support national security work, and invest the knowledge and technology accumulated in peacetime into information protection tasks. This is not only the practice of professional ability but also a concrete action to protect the country. We look forward to more civilian high-level professionals responding to information protection mobilization in the future, and working with the armed forces to enhance overall cybersecurity capacity and jointly build a safe and trustworthy digital environment.