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Shared China-linked threats give Taipei and New Delhi practical reason to deepen security cooperation
Jun. 21, 2026 17:45
Flags of India and Taiwan. (Reuters, alamy photo)
As cyber threats reshape national security in the 21st century, Taiwan and India should treat cybersecurity as a practical avenue for cooperation against shared challenges, many of them linked to China.
Taiwan and India have both become major targets of cyberattacks in recent years. A National Security Bureau report said Chinese cyberattacks against Taiwan’s critical infrastructure averaged 2.63 million per day in 2025, equivalent to roughly 960 million attacks over the year.
Government departments and private enterprises in Taiwan are regularly targeted by state-sponsored actors and cybercriminals. Given Taiwan’s strategic importance in semiconductors, computer hardware, and advanced technology, hostile actors have sought access to sensitive information related to defense cooperation with the United States and other partners, trade secrets, and government communications.
India has also experienced a sharp rise in cyber threats. According to Seqrite’s India Cyber Threat Report 2026, Seqrite Labs recorded 265.52 million threat detections across more than 8 million endpoints between October 2024 and September 2025.
Critical infrastructure sectors, including power, healthcare, aviation, finance, and government networks, have increasingly become targets of cyberattacks, highlighting the vulnerability of India’s digital ecosystem.
A key factor driving the need for closer cooperation is that both Taiwan and India face cyber threats linked to China.
In Taiwan’s case, the National Security Bureau said China’s cyberattacks in 2025 showed a degree of correlation with joint combat readiness patrols conducted by the People’s Liberation Army around Taiwan. The PLA conducted 40 such patrols in 2025, and China’s cyber army simultaneously escalated attacks against Taiwan 23 times.
India has faced similar challenges. Chinese-linked hacker groups have been accused of conducting cyber operations against Indian critical infrastructure. One widely cited example was the alleged cyber intrusion into India’s power sector, which some analysts linked to the widespread Mumbai electricity disruption in 2020.
India also experienced a barrage of cyberattacks during Operation Sindoor in 2025, though many of those attacks were linked to Pakistan-based threat actors. The broader lesson remains clear: Cybersecurity has become a central front in regional security competition.
Taiwan and India have made efforts since the 1990s to improve bilateral ties. Shared security challenges, changing geopolitical realities, and the political will to expand ties now create a favorable environment for a stronger cybersecurity partnership.
Importantly, Taipei and New Delhi have already developed substantial institutional capabilities to strengthen cyber resilience. Taiwan has built a multilayered cybersecurity infrastructure, including the National Information and Communication Security Taskforce, cyber agencies, and the Information and Electronic Warfare Command.
India, for its part, has established the Indian Computer Emergency Response Team and the National Critical Information Infrastructure Protection Centre.
These institutions offer a solid foundation for future cooperation in several ways.
First, cooperation would allow both countries to better understand each other’s cybersecurity systems and practices. Second, Taiwan’s extensive experience countering sophisticated Chinese cyberattacks offers valuable lessons for India.
Third, institutionalized cooperation could help integrate India’s software capabilities with Taiwan’s global leadership in hardware and semiconductor technologies, creating opportunities for technology cooperation and innovation.
Fourth, the two countries could explore multilateral or trilateral cooperation with the US, Japan, and other partners. A trilateral workshop involving representatives from the US, Taiwan, and India was held in New Delhi in 2023 under the Global Cooperation and Training Framework to deepen operational expertise and share best practices in cybersecurity.
To generate tangible outcomes, such exercises should be institutionalized and held regularly. At the same time, the scope of cybersecurity cooperation within the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue could be expanded by engaging Taiwan in relevant initiatives where possible.
Fifth, both countries could expand cooperation in critical infrastructure protection, cybersecurity intelligence sharing, and incident response mechanisms. Such collaboration would strengthen the cybersecurity of critical infrastructure in both countries.
Taiwan can play a particularly useful role in helping India strengthen the cybersecurity of its military and critical infrastructure, which remain vulnerable to China-backed cyberattacks.
To institutionalize cybersecurity cooperation, Taiwan and India should develop a framework for identifying, coordinating, sharing, and implementing cybersecurity best practices. They should promote cooperation in cybersecurity-related research and development, cybersecurity standards, security testing, accreditation processes, and cybersecurity product development.
Joint initiatives in cybersecurity, cybercrime prevention, digital forensics, and legal frameworks would further boost bilateral cooperation. Regular consultations and steps to improve transnational cybercrime cooperation would enhance cybersecurity coordination and foster long-term trust.
Structural and political constraints continue to limit the scope of Taiwan-India engagement. Yet evolving security challenges make a compelling case for closer cooperation.
The time has come for India to move beyond past hesitations and engage Taiwan more constructively. Cybersecurity cooperation could open a new chapter in Taiwan-India relations by providing a practical, mutually beneficial, and strategically significant avenue for partnership.
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Taiwan News, Contributing Writer
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