Minister of Digital Affairs Audrey Tang led a delegation to Israel to participate in the "Cyber Week 2023" international forum on the 27th of June. Minister Tang was invited to speak at the Main Plenary of the conference, sharing, with international cyber security experts, Taiwan's experience in defending democracy against compound cyber attacks.

This year's event, which ran from June 26th to 29th, attracted more than 9,000 experts, researchers, companies and government officials from around the world in the field of cyber security, and included more than 50 roundtable sessions, panel discussions and competitions.

Minister Tang was invited by the Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center (ICRC) of Tel Aviv University, the organizer of Cyber Week, to attend this year's forum. She was welcomed with a banquet by Prof. Isaac Ben-Israel, the founder of ICRC and former chairman of the Israel National R&D Council; on the day of her arrival in Israel, specifically the 26th of June, the minister had an extensive exchange on the topic of joint security.

Minister Tang's speech, “CAPTURE THE FLAG: Defending Taiwan's Democracy from Foreign Interference” at Cyber Security Week in Israel, shared Taiwan's experience and measures in dealing with compound cyber attacks and defending democracy.

Minister Tang used the example of the complex network attack on Taiwan last August to illustrate the important information security policies promoted by Taiwan, including Zero Trust Architecture and T-Road (channel for cross-ministries transmission). Minister Tang pointed out that last year's attack resulted in the temporary disconnection of certain government websites, the reporting of more than 150 cyber security incidents, and tampering with electronic signage. After the establishment of the Ministry of Digital Affairs, various cyber security measures were quickly strengthened, and this year, during President Tsai's visit to the United States, Taiwan also experienced a considerable number of cyber attacks, although no government websites or electronic signage were affected. The number of reported cyber security incidents dropped significantly to approximately 40.

Minister Tang also quoted from the Declaration for the Future of the Internet: "We believe we should meet these challenges by working towards a shared vision for the future of the Internet that recommits governments and relevant authorities to defending human rights and fostering equitable economic prosperity." The minister also called on all sectors to work together to defend democracy against Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI).

Additionally, the delegation participated in the Cybersecurity Week roundtable discussion with Israeli experts, academics and industry leaders on the topic of cyber security and AI. The forum was opened by Minister Tang and Professor Isaac Ben-Israel, and was introduced by Deputy Director Lin Chun-Hsiu of the Administration for Digital Industries of MODA, and Deputy Director Shin-Ming Cheng of the Administration for Cybersecurity of MODA, both of whom provided an introduction to Taiwan's important policies on building digital resilience in the industry and promoting cyber security for critical infrastructure, respectively.

Deputy Director Lin shared Taiwan's industrial policies, which have been designed to ensure cyber security resilience, including the promotion of international standards for semiconductor supply chain information security (SEMI E187) and the implementation of a Zero Trust Architecture, app cyber security testing, cyber security standards of chips and IoT, and the Shalun Information Security Service Base. In this way, Deputy Director Lin demonstrated Taiwan's strategy and milestones in becoming a trustworthy partner in global supply chains.

Mr. Cheng shared that Taiwan has established an inter-ministerial information security joint defense framework based on the Cyber Security Management Act, has gradually deepened the protection of critical infrastructure, has verified the effectiveness of defense measures through field audits, and has organized the Cyber Offense and Defence Exercise (CODE), inviting cyber security experts from different countries to conduct real-world exercises. The event is designed to enhance both sides' security expertise and response capabilities, as well as to establish a foundation for joint defense.

Minister Tang also participated in the conference "Building Cyber Resilience", explaining that Taiwan is promoting the establishment of a diverse heterogeneous communication network, integrating fixed terrestrial networks, wireless networks, submarine cables, satellites, and other communication methods, while also continuing to strengthen the cyber security and protection of the internet, and enhance digital resilience.

In the evening, Minister Tang will meet with the Chairman of the Israel-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Association, Boaz Toporovsky, as well as other members of the Knesset, to exchange thoughts on cyber security and digital services issues; both sides expect to promote more cooperation in digital-related fields to further deepen bilateral relations between Taiwan and Israel.