The computer systems at Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) and the de facto U.S. embassy here, the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), were maliciously attacked by hackers believed to be operating from China, an AIT source said.
China has launched a systematic information warfare campaign against Taiwan, spreading Trojan-horse programs into private companies' computers as a means to break into government databases, according to the Taiwan Cabinet.
Taiwan intelligence officials fear that China is preparing a cyber-attack as retaliation for efforts to claim independence.
China could cripple Taiwan's infrastructure by using advanced information warfare weapons, according to a report issued by the Taiwan Research Institute. China has developed their information warfare arsenal to give it a strategic edge against Taiwan and information-dependent Western countries.
A cyberwar has erupted between Taiwanese and Chinese computer hackers lending support to their governments' battle for sovereignty over Taiwan.