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The US government is making moves to support both Taiwan and South Korea from neighbouring cyber threats.
Lawmakers from both the House and Senate, and from both sides of the aisle, recently introduced a bill aimed at protecting Taiwan from growing Chinese cyber attacks, while South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and US President Joe Biden released a joint statement declaring that the two countries are planning to build a Strategic Cybersecurity Cooperation Framework to defend South Korea from North Korean cyber activity.
When the Taiwan Cybersecurity Resiliency Act was introduced last month, its backers noted that Taiwan had been the target of up to 40 million Chinese cyber attacks each month in 2019, “some of which were later used against the United States”.
“We must push back on the Chinese Communist Party’s growing aggression and its attempts to undermine democracy around the world — including through hostile cyber actions,” said Democrat Jacky Rosen in a statement after presenting the bill.
Biden and Yoon’s declaration came only a week later, following Yoon’s state visit to the US. The commitment to increased cooperation against cyber attacks is part of a broader reaffirmation of the two country’s close ties.
“As the linchpin for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, our alliance has grown far beyond the Korean Peninsula, reflecting the vital role of our two countries as global leaders in advancing democracy, economic prosperity, security, and technological innovation,” the joint statement said.
However, it does commit to greater cooperation on the cyber front and, in particular, combating North Korean fundraising activities.
“The United States and the ROK commit to using [the Strategic Cybersecurity Cooperation Framework] to expand cooperation on deterring cyber adversaries, increase the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure, combat cyber crime, and secure cryptocurrency and blockchain applications,” the statement said.
“The presidents expressed concern regarding the DPRK’s illicit cyber activities that fund its unlawful WMD and ballistic missile programs and committed to expanding information sharing and enhancing international awareness to combat DPRK cyber threats and block its cyber-enabled revenue generation.”
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
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