Taiwan’s National Security Bureau said Chinese cyber activity targeting the island’s critical infrastructure surged in 2025, with an average of 2.63 million intrusion attempts recorded each day. The total represents a 6% increase from 2024 and more than double the level seen in 2023, when the agency first began releasing such data.
According to the bureau, attacks struck a wide range of targets, including hospitals, power networks, banks and science parks vital to Taiwan’s semiconductor industry. Officials added that the cyber operations increasingly coincided with Chinese military patrols and politically sensitive events, reinforcing Taipei’s assessment that China is deploying cyber operations as part of a broader “hybrid warfare” strategy.
Hybrid Threats Link Cyber And Military Pressure
The report said China’s so-called “cyber army” often launched large-scale cyberattacks alongside military demonstrations and other pressure tactics around Taiwan. In 2025, the People’s Liberation Army carried out 40 “joint combat readiness patrols” involving aircraft and warships operating close to Taiwan’s air and sea space.
On 23 of those occasions, cyber intrusion activity surged well above the daily average. Officials said the overlap pointed to coordinated hybrid operations intended to strain Taipei’s defences across multiple fronts.
Cyber activity also increased around politically sensitive moments, including President Lai Ching-te’s first-year-in-office speech in May and Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim’s appearance at the European Parliament in November. Officials said the pattern suggests Beijing is using cyber operations alongside disinformation and military drills to intensify psychological pressure during key diplomatic moments and reinforce the message that Taiwan can be targeted even in peacetime.
Critical Infrastructure And Tech Sector In Crosshairs
The report found that attacks hit nine critical infrastructure sectors, with energy networks, emergency-response systems and hospitals seeing the largest increases from the previous year. More than half of all incidents involved the exploitation of software or hardware weaknesses, a tactic officials described as “vulnerability weaponisation.”
These intrusions allowed attackers to install malware, steal data and maintain long-term access to systems supporting power grids, telecommunications networks and government services. Taiwan’s science parks, home to major semiconductor firms including TSMC, were also frequent targets, with attackers using spear-phishing and supply-chain attacks to obtain advanced chip designs and manufacturing know-how.
Authorities also documented at least 20 ransomware or disruption incidents aimed at major hospitals. In some cases, patient services were briefly affected and sensitive medical records risked exposure online, highlighting how cyber operations are increasingly spilling into daily life rather than remaining confined to government IT systems.
Taiwan Bolsters Defences As Warning Grows Sharper
Officials said the growing scale and complexity of Chinese cyber operations point to a long-term effort to compromise Taiwan’s infrastructure and, if necessary, disable critical systems at the start of any crisis. The report from Taiwan’s National Security Bureau said Beijing’s approach reflects its reliance on hybrid tactics in both peacetime and wartime, with cyber operations, information campaigns and military pressure increasingly deployed together.
In response, Taipei has increased investment in cyber defences, intelligence sharing and joint exercises involving civilian agencies, military cyber units and private operators of power, telecommunications and financial networks. Officials also emphasised closer cooperation with partners, including the United States, Japan and the European Union, aiming both to strengthen Taiwan’s digital infrastructure and ensure that any major cyberattack campaign triggers swift international scrutiny and diplomatic pushback.
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