Hack Attack: Taiwan Confirms AI-Powered Cyberattack on Government Agencies
In an "unusual attack" on institutions and companies in Taiwan, AI agents were used. They are said to have worked largely autonomously, like a coordinated team of hackers.
Taiwan has confirmed a cyberattack from abroad on government agencies using AI-supported methods. The Digital Ministry announced the "unusual attack" in July, stating that warnings, investigations, and countermeasures had been initiated since the 20th of that month. The hackers combined manual operations with AI agents like Open Claw.
However, the ministry did not specify which agencies were affected or if data was stolen. China, which Taiwan frequently accuses of cyberattacks, was not mentioned. The affected entities have since completed their measures. AI agents operate like a hacker team, according to a British newspaper "Financial Times" which, citing Israeli cybersecurity firm Dream, reported on a novel attack possibly involving China-linked hackers.
Dream explained that the attackers built a largely autonomous tool using freely available AI agents, behaving like a coordinated hacker team. The system deployed up to eight AI agents simultaneously for four days at the beginning of July, scanning 21 networks of government agencies, seeking vulnerabilities, and adjusting their approach when met with resistance.
At least 85 government accounts were compromised, and over 2,500 personnel records were stolen. The attack also targeted Taiwan's nuclear regulator and at least seven energy companies. Chinese researchers suspect a connection to mainland China due to simplified Chinese characters in the hackers' internal communication, but the attackers remain unnamed and the motivations unclear. China views Taiwan as its territory and may reunite the democratic island with force if necessary.
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