Taiwan experiences 20 to 40 million cyberattacks each month. In the lead up to its January 13 election, the island cited an uptick in malicious activity -- hitting sectors ranging from its powerhouse semiconductor industry to government and defence entities. Instead of missile attacks and troops breaching Taiwan's beaches, the complete breakdown in critical infrastructure is what D-Day could look like for Taiwan in the face of a Chinese invasion. And the worst-case scenario? The undersea cables getting "cut-off and unusable", plunging the self-ruled island into a communications blackout with the rest of the world, according to Taiwan's Deputy Digital Affairs Minister Huai-jen Lee. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES