《TAIPEI TIMES》 NSC tightens anti-infiltration measures

The National Security Council (NSC) has introduced five measures to promote personnel loyalty and counter Chinese infiltration, including expanding background checks and limiting access to classified information, the committee said in a report submitted to the Legislative Yuan.

The Legislative Yuan's Judiciary and Organic Law and Regulations Committee proposed freezing the National Security Council's NT$4 million (approximately US$120,070) budget for consulting and research operations.

The committee requires the National Security Council to submit a written report within three months outlining its counter-infiltration procedures and standards, as well as the results of an inspection of the work of advisory committee members in preventing infiltration, as a condition of the budget release.

In a report submitted to the Legislative Yuan, the National Security Council said personnel recruitment was conducted in accordance with relevant regulations on special background checks for civil servants involved in national security or major projects.

The committee has also developed its own operational guidance on personnel inspections, outlining five improvements introduced this year that draw on the experience of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Germany in dealing with Chinese infiltration.

First, the scope of special background checks will go beyond current regulations to include personnel handling sensitive matters in national security council offices, including members of advisory committees, classified personnel, advisory assistants, and employees involved in sensitive operations, such as information security personnel.

Second, in addition to the initial screening upon entry, personnel will undergo regular inspections at different frequencies depending on their security clearance level starting this year.

Third, if the person under review meets any of the conditions listed in Article 3 of the Special Inspection Regulations, the case will be transferred to the Screening Committee and an additional review team will be formed to increase the level of deliberation and jointly evaluate the person's suitability for the position.

Fourth, the committee will regularly review the allocation of sensitive responsibilities, tighten controls over access levels, and tie security clearance levels directly to the frequency of background checks.

Fifth, any data access on the National Security Council’s computers will leave traceable logs, and all communication devices are strictly prohibited in sensitive meetings to prevent official data from leaking.

While members of the advisory committee are not explicitly covered by the special background check regulations, they are required to sign consent forms and affidavits agreeing to be screened, the National Security Council said.

To increase awareness of risk prevention, members of the National Security Council's advisory committee have been undergoing annual inspections since last year, which is more frequent than the Executive Yuan's standards, which require continuous service in sensitive positions to be re-evaluated every three years.

All background checks last year were completed with assistance from the Department of Justice's Bureau of Investigation, and no adverse findings were reported, the committee said.

The National Security Council has always adhered to strict standards regarding the national loyalty and integrity of its personnel.