An infusion of cash from Taiwanese semiconductor magnate Robert Tsao is funding new cyber defense training through Kuma Academy. The goal of this training is to combat online disinformation and hybrid warfare that could accompany a potential Chinese military assault on Taiwan. Kuma Academy plans to provide civilian military training for three million people over the next three years, including courses on identifying and debunking online disinformation. The academy also plans to launch advanced courses on open-source intelligence gathering (OSINT) taught by volunteer hacking groups. By fostering a sense of hope and highlighting the difficulties China would face in invading Taiwan, the classes aim to empower Taiwanese people to participate in national defense.
| Signal | Change | 10y horizon | Driving force |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funding for cyber defense training | Preparation for potential Chinese invasion | Increased cyber defense capabilities | Potential Chinese military assault |
| Civilian military training for 3 million | Increased preparedness for invasion | More citizens trained in defense | Potential Chinese military assault |
| Training in identifying and debunking online disinformation | Better ability to combat disinformation | More educated population | Potential Chinese military assault |
| Launch of advanced courses on OSINT | Improved intelligence gathering skills | More effective intelligence gathering | Potential Chinese military assault |
| Tailoring OSINT practices for Taiwanese context | Enhanced ability to identify social media users | More accurate identification of disinformation | Potential Chinese military assault |
| Debunking fake news and identifying Chinese military uniforms | Improved ability to distinguish true and false information | More accurate information in wartime | Potential Chinese military assault |
| Fostering a sense of hope among Taiwanese | Increased morale and national defense participation | Stronger national defense | Potential Chinese military assault |
| Pushing back against belief of immediate surrender | Challenging defeatist mentality | Increased resistance in the face of invasion | Potential Chinese military assault |
| Studying Ukrainian resistance tactics | Learning from successful resistance strategies | Improved defense strategies | Russian invasion of Ukraine |
| Fighting Russian online disinformation | Better defense against propaganda and disinformation | Strengthened resistance tactics | Russian invasion of Ukraine |
| Using OSINT to track military maneuvers | Improved intelligence gathering skills | More effective intelligence gathering | Russian invasion of Ukraine |
| Rumors can destroy will to resist | Awareness of the impact of disinformation | Resilience against disinformation | Potential Chinese military assault |
| War is a contest of wills | Understanding the nature of modern warfare | Strategic thinking in conflict | Potential Chinese military assault |
| Civil defense training after Russian invasion of Ukraine | Learning from Ukrainian resistance tactics | Enhanced preparedness | Russian invasion of Ukraine |