On Nov. 9, Ministerof Digital Affairs Audrey Tang met with a delegation from the U.K. led by Greg Hands, minister of state for trade policy. They exchanged opinions on a variety of topics such as cybersecurity, promotion of digital transformation and strengthening digital resilience.

Tang said Taiwan’s promotion of digital transformation emphasizes the importance of global cooperation and civic engagement in boosting the development of government digital services. “The country is also working with U.K. partners to promote public code and continuing to seek mutual authentication mechanisms in the field of web3.”

In terms of strengthening digital resilience, Tang said ensuring Internet services remain uninterrupted in the face of all challenges is a top priority of the Ministry of Digital Affairs. “As such , Taiwan will conduct a proof of concept (POC)with a non-geostationary satellite.”

According to Tang, Taiwan also plans to install more than 700 receiving stations to safeguard continuous communications if landlines or submarine cables are severed. “This guarantees the normal functioning of democratic mechanisms, and Taiwan is willing and able to cooperate with like-minded partners to this effect.” she said.

Given the increasing risk of cyberattacks, Tang said, Taiwan embraces Zero Trust Architecture based on the concept of continued verification and never trust. A central plank in this approach involves promoting three verification processes for related information equipment: identity authentication, equipment authentication and trust inference, Tang said. “The overarching goal is to enhance Taiwan’s cybersecurity and protection capabilities.”

Tang said as a responsible member of the international community and force for good in the world, Taiwan seeks collaboration with democratic partners to establish a cybersecurity defensive line. “At the same time, the country is prepared to work with members of the global information services industry to promote government services cloud architecture, she said, adding that this will assist in preserving data storage and operations security during emergency situations.”

Hands and the U.K. delegation visited the moda Nov. 9 during a three-day trip to Taiwan. Other members included Natalie Black, trade commissioner for Asia-Pacific, and John Dennis, representative of the British Office in Taipei.