Taiwan MoDA Sets Cybersecurity Standards for Telecom Control Systems, Effective 2027

According to an assessment by OT-ISAC, Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs announced cybersecurity protection standards on September 16 for control systems operated by regulated communications and broadcasting critical infrastructure providers, scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027. The standards apply to both in-house and outsourced systems across high, medium, and general protection tiers. The rules require remote access to be pre-authorized through defined control points with encryption and multi-factor authentication; modifying engineering logic or protection parameters in high- and medium-tier systems requires secondary verification. High-tier systems must maintain isolation from general IT networks and monitor boundaries, with compensatory controls required when vulnerabilities cannot be patched. The framework also mandates backup drills and supply-chain contract controls, permitting alternative measures upon MoDA approval for technical constraints.

Key takeaways

• MoDA announced cybersecurity protection standards for telecom critical infrastructure control systems, taking effect January 1, 2027, covering high, medium, and general tiers.
• Remote access requires authorization, encryption, and MFA; altering engineering logic in high- or medium-tier systems requires secondary verification.
• High-tier systems must be isolated from general IT networks, while unpatchable vulnerabilities require alternative controls like network segmentation.
• The standards mandate backup drills and outsourcing contract terms, allowing alternative compensatory measures upon MoDA approval for technical constraints.