Taiwan consular affairs bureau websites breached: over 72,000 passport application photos, 26,000 NY-office authorisation letters and ABTC files taken

Taiwan's Bureau of Consular Affairs said on 9 November 2026, and updated on 12 November, that it found suspected intrusions on some websites on the afternoon of 4 November and confirmed unauthorised access to 72,702 passport photos, 26,072 scanned authorisation letters verified by the New York office, and 774 APEC Business Travel Card applications ^[2]. BOCA said it has not so far found that names, dates of birth, national ID numbers or passport numbers from those applications were taken besides the photos, and that the affected websites are back online after repairs and security checks ^[2]. People who applied for a passport via BOCA websites between 3 September and 2 November, had an authorisation letter verified at the New York office, or filed an ABTC application on the bureau's online form should stay alert to possible misuse of their data, need not replace a valid passport immediately, and should watch for the dedicated enquiry channel and assistance measures BOCA said it will announce ^[2].

Passport applicants who uploaded photos via personal online reservation, travel-agency batch filing or the conditional online renewal channel from 3 September to 2 November 2026 (excluding one-stop household office and in-person counter cases); parties to some authorisation letters verified by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in New York from 26 October 2011 to 6 November 2026; and 774 people who applied via the BOCA ABTC online form from 1 September to 10 November 2026 ^[2].