Government plans enhanced protection for critical infrastructure

Taipei, Sept. 27 (CNA) Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said Thursday that the government was working to boost the protection of 310 critical infrastructure facilities in Taiwan.

Approximately 310 critical infrastructure facilities have been identified around the country, Liu told a press conference after the Whole-of-Society Defense Resilience Committee convened for the first time.

The committee under the Presidential Office, bringing together government officials, scholars, private company executives and representatives of civil society groups, is tasked with strategizing how to enhance the country's civil protection system.

As the committee has identified an estimated 400,000 individuals nationwide for civil protection training and exercises, Liu said she believed some could be assigned to help protect critical infrastructure.

According to Liu, the maintenance and protection of the facilities -- relating to energy, telecommunications, transportation and finance, plus hospitals, government agencies and science parks -- are divided into three layers.

She said the core aim is to defend critical buildings, equipment and services.

In the middle layer, the focus will be on intercepting and repelling attacks, while the outer ring will function as an alert system to identify risks, she said.

According to Deputy Secretary-General to the President Xavier Chang (張惇涵), the committee's discussions on Thursday mainly focused on exploring ways to ensure the continued operation of critical infrastructure during disasters and emergencies.

Enoch Wu (吳怡農), founder and head of Forward Alliance, was cited as saying in the meeting that ensuring the safety of the internet and software system for critical infrastructure was just as important as protecting the facilities.

Wu, whose private organization works on civil protection training, added that more should be done to protect those systems.

Meanwhile, Hsiao Hsu-chun (蕭旭君), a computer science professor at National Taiwan University, suggested the government conduct a thorough assessment to learn how critical infrastructure facilitates are interconnected, Chang said.

Hsiao noted that understanding the interdependence of these facilities would help the government develop a more effective protection strategy, according to Chang.