Stealth phones offered to Taiwan's presidential candidates

Taiwan's National Security Bureau (NSB) has offered stealth phones to the country's presidential candidates in an attempt to avoid increasing activities of hackers.

NSB director-general Yang Kuo-chian on Friday said the signals from normal phones can be easily intercepted, and recommended security measures and encryption of signals to prevent eavesdropping by spies, EFE news reported.

The upcoming presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2016, is expected to play a key role in re-orienting Taiwan's policy towards China, the US and Japan, especially with the Democratic Progressive Party leader Tsai Ing-wen emerging as a clear favorite.

"If they have the need for it and are willing, the NSB will provide stealth phones to the presidential candidates," Yang said.

Currently, the NSB offers high-security phones only to president, vice-president, heads of important ministries and ambassadors and chief envoys who are stationed in foreign countries, Yang said.

The software and electronics in stealth phones were developed by the bureau's technical department, while the phone hardware was made by Taiwan's HTC Corporation.