Taiwan opens world’s first chip-equipment cybersecurity lab

台灣啟用全球首座半導體設備資安實驗室

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan on Thursday opened the world’s first SEMI E187 cybersecurity testing laboratory for semiconductor equipment.

The Institute for Information Industry (III) said the SEMI E187 certification and verification system can help equipment makers win orders, strengthen markets, and expand overseas business, per CNA. The system is expected to create or maintain business opportunities worth about NT$5 billion (US$156.64 million).

Digital Affairs Minister Lin Yi-ching (林宜敬) said Taiwan’s semiconductor industry is at the core of the global democratic supply chain and therefore a target for hackers. To strengthen supply-chain security, the Ministry of Digital Affairs has worked with SEMI and TSMC to develop and implement SEMI E187, he said.

III Chairman Huang Chung-ming (黃仲銘) said SEMI E187 establishes a common cybersecurity standard for semiconductor equipment, per Liberty Times. He said the laboratory’s opening marks a shift for Taiwan from following international standards to developing and verifying standards, allowing chipmakers to assess equipment suppliers’ cybersecurity capabilities before equipment enters their facilities.

SEMI Chief Marketing Officer and Taiwan President Tsao Shih-lun (曹世綸) said the laboratory gives the standard testing capabilities and provides the global semiconductor industry with a model for implementation. As more equipment is tested, he said, the effort is expected to serve as a model for the global industry.

III said it will work with other laboratories, like Switzerland’s SGS, to expand testing capabilities and build real-world cases, with the goal of promoting Taiwan’s cybersecurity expertise internationally.