TAIPEI (TVBS News) — Taiwan's largest telecommunications provider faces a looming digital security crisis as Google prepares to revoke Chunghwa Telecom's (CHT, 中華電信) Transport Layer Security (TLS) website certificates, the critical digital credentials that secure internet connections across the island nation. The tech giant's decision, driven by unspecified trust concerns, has sent ripples of anxiety through Taiwan's digital ecosystem. In a somber public address on Thursday (June 19), Chunghwa Telecom Chairman Alex C.C. Chien (簡志誠) issued a formal apology and outlined an ambitious recovery roadmap, promising to regain Google Chrome's default trust in their certificates by March 2026.
The telecommunications giant will halt the issuance of new security certificates beginning Aug. 1, a preemptive measure designed to minimize disruptions to Taiwan's digital infrastructure and preserve user trust. According to Chairman Chien, the company has already made substantial progress in its remediation efforts, with more than 95.4 percent of affected certificates successfully updated or converted as of June 13. In a significant organizational restructuring, Chunghwa has consolidated its previously separate government and commercial website security teams, creating a unified approach to technical standards and compliance procedures that promises to streamline operations and bolster management effectiveness.
To spearhead the recovery initiative, Chunghwa has assembled an elite task force comprised of the company's leading cybersecurity and digital certificate experts, implementing contemporary agile management methodologies to maintain momentum and accountability through weekly progress assessments. The chairman detailed significant enhancements to the company's crisis management infrastructure, including newly established standard operating procedures designed to accelerate and improve incident response capabilities. Chien emphasized that the telecommunications provider has instituted a comprehensive regulatory oversight framework featuring quarterly compliance monitoring sessions that track adherence to digital security standards throughout the entire certificate lifecycle.
The remediation strategy includes substantial technological safeguards against future lapses, with Chien highlighting the deployment of sophisticated automated verification systems alongside a newly implemented two-tier human review process for certificate formats. Looking toward recovery of its digital credibility, Chunghwa Telecom has developed a comprehensive roadmap to regain Google's trust, with plans to submit a formal application to rejoin Chrome's default trusted certificate authorities in 2026. "We are initiating the application process for a new root certificate immediately," Chien stated, underscoring the urgency with which Taiwan's digital communications giant is approaching this technological challenge that affects millions of secure connections across the island's internet infrastructure. ◼