Foreign hackers are increasingly targeting Taiwan by hijacking social media accounts to spread disinformation aimed at undermining the country’s military, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau (MJIB) yesterday.
The hackers, believed to be operating from abroad, are using compromised Internet-connected devices, including surveillance cameras and facial recognition systems, to gain unauthorised access to social media accounts on popular platforms like Dcard and PTT (Professional Technology Temple). By infiltrating these forums, they have been able to post false information that seeks to damage the reputation of Taiwan’s armed forces.
One of the key tactics employed by these cybercriminals is impersonating Taiwanese air force personnel. They have posted misleading content claiming that many military pilots are dissatisfied with their pay and working conditions. Some posts suggest that pilots would rather incur tremendous financial losses than renew their contracts, while others falsely claim that military members are leaving their posts to pursue civilian careers for better work-life balance.
On PTT, an account named “ss900287” further amplified these messages by sharing a link to a photograph that supposedly showed a list of retired military pilots applying for jobs with China Airlines. This, however, is another example of the misinformation being spread to create doubt and discontent among the public regarding Taiwan’s military.
Rise in False Posts Across Social Media
This article has been indexed from CySecurity News – Latest Information Security and Hacking Incidents