Taiwan refutes China 'cyberattack' allegation

Taipei, March 17 (CNA) Taiwan's Information, Communications, and Electronic Force Command (ICEFCOM) on Monday rejected an allegation by China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) that it launched cyberattacks targeting China's Internet infrastructure to push a "Taiwan independence" agenda.

In a post on the social networking app WeChat, the MSS accused ICEFCOM of being the lackeys of "Taiwan independence separatists," overseeing cyberattacks that included sending a large number of phishing messages and propaganda and spreading fake news on "mainstream social networking platforms."

It is evident that the actions orchestrated by ICEFCOM were blatant attempts at pushing the Democratic Progressive Party's "Taiwan independence" agenda, according to the post.

In the post, the MSS said it recently uncovered dozens of online platforms used by ICEFCOM to launch cyberattacks and identified four members of the command who it said were "ringleaders" of those attacks.

The post included the headshots of four members of the Taiwanese military, their names, positions, National Identification Card numbers, and birthdays.

"Taiwan independence is a road to ruin, and those who engage in such separatist activities shall be subjected to any necessary punishments as defined by the law," the MSS said.

In response, ICEFCOM said China took pictures from the public domain to back up its assertion that the four Taiwanese service members were behind the alleged cyberattacks.

This is an ungrounded fabrication aimed at intimidating the Taiwanese public, it said.

In its statement, ICEFCOM noted that its mission is to maintain information relating to national defense and ensure cybersecurity, just like its counterparts in other democratic countries.

However, China has not only escalated tensions in the Indo-Pacific region and around the world with its warplanes and vessels but also carried out "gray zone" activities -- provocative or aggressive actions that fall just short of open conflict -- including cyberattacks, that have drawn criticism from the international community.

ICEFCOM said it will continue its mission to combat cyberattacks by enemies through enhanced military cybersecurity, thereby boosting national security.