Image Credit: Taiwan News
On Thursday, 12 September, the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) experienced a significant outage, attributed to the pro-Russia hacker group “NoName057(16).” This disruption, reported by CNA, caused delays on the TWSE website, which was inundated with an unusually high volume of queries. The exchange clarified that the incident, which occurred outside of normal trading hours, did not affect its trading systems and was resolved swiftly.
The outage was part of a broader cyber offensive launched by NoName057(16) on Monday, 9 September. The hacker group stated on social media that the attacks were in response to comments made by President Lai Ching-de, who had allegedly suggested that China should “take away Russia’s land in the Far East.” Since then, the group has targeted multiple Taiwanese institutions with Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.
Among the affected entities are the TWSE, Taipei Stock Exchange, Taipei Songshan Airport, Chang Hwa Bank, and the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics. Additionally, branches of Mega Financial Holding Co., including Mega Funds, Mega Securities, and Mega Bills, have been hit.
Reports indicated issues with the TWSE website between 15:00 and 16:00, though the exact start time of the outage was not specified. The attacks have intensified tensions, highlighting vulnerabilities in digital infrastructure amidst geopolitical disputes.
Despite the disruption, normal trading operations were unaffected, and the TWSE has resumed its usual schedule of 08:30 to 13:30. The broader implications of these cyberattacks underscore the growing threat posed by cyber warfare in international relations.