Taiwan confirms AI-driven attack after Israeli firm investigation

Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs confirmed on Thursday that government agencies experienced AI-assisted cyberattacks from overseas last month, which were successfully "handled" By affected bodies. The attacks occurred in July, with the National Institute of Cyber Security issuing warning alerts beginning July 20 as it investigated.

Analysis showed the attacks originated overseas and employed a hybrid approach combining manual operations with AI agent-assisted attacks, including Open Claw. "The relevant attack sources, methods, and scope of impact have all been fully investigated, and the affected units have successively completed their handling," The ministry stated.

The government has since established protective guidelines and strengthened system monitoring across agencies to block attacks early in response to this emerging AI-derived cybersecurity threat.

Taiwan has long described what it characterizes as Chinese "hybrid warfare" Against the island, ranging from military drills to disinformation campaigns and cyberattacks. According to Taiwan's National Security Bureau in January, cyberattacks on the island's key infrastructure rose 6% in 2025 to an average of 2.63 million attacks daily, with some synchronized with military drills.

The confirmation followed a report by Israeli cybersecurity firm Dream, which said it had uncovered an AI-driven hacking campaign targeting an unnamed Asian government. Dream reported that AI agents extracted passwords from unidentified officials, stole personnel records from a justice ministry, and scanned a nuclear safety agency for vulnerabilities over four days. While Dream declined to name the government, the Financial Times identified the targeted agencies as Taiwanese.