Japanese cybersecurity expert warns of China's cyber tactics, undersea cable cuts as signs of looming Taiwan conflict
Mihoko Matsubara
, the chief cybersecurity strategist at Nippon Telegraph and Telephone in Japan, stated during a panel at a NATO Defence College Foundation conference on Tuesday that while a hot war has not yet erupted in the Taiwan Strait, cyberattacks have already commenced, according to Focus Taiwan.
A report from Cisco Systems in March 2025 confirmed that state-sponsored groups from China "have been attacking critical infrastructure services in Taiwan, and their tactics and targets closely resemble those of [the actor] 'Volt Typhoon,'" she explained.
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According to her, the ultimate aim of these attacks was "to instigate chaos, disrupt decision-making processes, and hinder or delay the deployment of U.S. forces to the area in the event of conflicts in the Taiwan Strait." She cautioned that "this is very concerning, and we may already be witnessing a possible precursor to conflict in the region."
Matsubara mentioned that the "Volt Typhoon" group has infiltrated infrastructure in the United States, India, and Singapore; however, there have been no reports of such activities in Japan or Taiwan yet. Another "alarming" sign that could indicate impending conflict is the severing of undersea cables, she noted.
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Although cable cuts can occur anywhere and at any time in the world, these incidents have been more frequently observed near the Taiwan Strait compared to other regions, and their occurrence has intensified this year, which she described as "strange," according to Focus Taiwan.
Additionally, she urged European nations to take the security situation in the Taiwan Strait seriously, highlighting that Taiwan is responsible for more than 60 per cent of the
global semiconductor supply
and over 90 per cent of its advanced chips. Furthermore, the Taiwan Strait is crucial for over 20 per cent of global trade, and around 30,000 European nationals currently live in Taiwan, Focus Taiwan reported.
The high-level conference, named "Indo-Pacific 2025: Prevention and Dialogue," is taking place in Rome on Tuesday and Wednesday, gathering international experts to discuss practical initiatives, according to the NATO foundation.
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