Chinese state-backed hackers were responsible for two malicious digital campaigns targeting the UK’s democratic institutions and politicians, the security services have found. The UK holds China responsible for a prolonged cyber-attack on the Electoral Commission during which Beijing allegedly accessed the personal details of about 40 million voters. The National Cyber Security Centre, part of GCHQ, also found that four British parliamentarians who have been critical of Beijing were targeted in a separate attack, although the activity was identified before any systems were compromised. Two individuals and a front company…
Tag: Cyberwar
A Chinese ‘wolf warrior’ impersonated me, says Iain Duncan Smith
Iain Duncan Smith has said he was impersonated by a pro-China “wolf warrior” and has called for the country to be labelled a threat to UK security. The former Tory leader said on Monday that the “wolf warrior”, a term used for combative proponents of the Chinese government, had impersonated him and sent emails to politicians around the world suggesting he had changed his views about Beijing. He was speaking at a press conference with two other MPs who were briefed by security services on Monday about cyber-attacks against them…
UK has ‘very strong capabilities’ to resist cyber-attacks, says Rishi Sunak – video
Rishi Sunak has restated the government’s view that China represents an ‘epoch-defining challenge’, and said the UK has ‘very strong’ abilities to resist cyber-attacks. On a visit to Barrow-in-Furness, the prime minister said: ‘When it comes to cyber, we have the National Cyber Security Centre, which is world leading. Indeed, when I’m out and about across the world, other leaders want to learn and talk to us because they believe that our capabilities in this country are very strong’ The Guardian
Government urged to end its ‘naivety on China’ as Dowden to brief MPs on Beijing’s role in cyber-attacks – UK politics live
From 45m ago Government urged to end its ‘naivety on China’ as Dowden to brief MPs on Beijing’s role in cyber-attacks Good morning. Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer are both far away from Westminster this morning. Sunak is in Barrow-in-Furness, promoting a £200m investment in nuclear submarines, and Starmer is on Anglesey, promoting Labour’s plans for offshore wind. In London it looks as if the deputy prime minister, Oliver Dowden, will be grabbing the headlines. He is making a statement to MPs about Chinese cyber-attacks on the UK and, as…
UK ‘slow to hold China to account’ for cyber-attacks against MPs and voters
The UK government has been too slow to respond to cyber-attacks by China, the head of an international group of parliamentarians focusing on the issue has said, ahead of expected new British sanctions against Beijing. Oliver Dowden, the deputy prime minister, is expected to announce the sanctions in the Commons on Monday, after what the UK says have been cyber-attacks against MPs and peers, as well as one targeting the Electoral Commission in which Beijing allegedly accessed the personal details of about 40 million voters. Three MPs and a peer…
Details of millions of UK voters accessed by Chinese state, ministers will say
The personal details of millions of voters are believed to have been accessed in an attack by China on Britain’s democratic process, ministers will say. MPs and peers are thought to be among 43 people who the government looks set to confirm have been targeted by cyber-attacks backed by the Chinese state. The UK could impose sanctions on individuals believed to be involved in these acts of state-backed interference, one of which was a separate attack on the Electoral Commission in which Beijing accessed the personal details of about 40…
China targets group of MPs and peers with string of cyber-attacks
China has targeted a group of MPs and peers at Westminster in a string of cyber-attacks, it has been reported. On Monday, the deputy prime minister, Oliver Dowden, is expected to inform parliament of the attacks. Meanwhile, Sir Iain Duncan Smith, former Tory education minister Tim Loughton, cross-bench peer Lord Alton of Liverpool and Stewart McDonald, a Scottish National party MP, have been called on to attend a briefing from Alison Giles, parliament’s director of security. Duncan Smith, Loughton, Alton and McDonald are members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China…
Chinese hackers infiltrated plane, train and water systems for five years, US says
An advanced group of Chinese hackers taking aim at critical US infrastructure has been active for as long as half a decade, American and allied intelligence agencies said in a joint statement on Wednesday. The US National Security Agency, US cyber watchdog CISA, the FBI and the Transportation Security Administration said that the group known as Volt Typhoon had quietly burrowed into the networks of aviation, rail, mass transit, highway, maritime, pipeline, water and sewage organizations. None of the organizations were identified by name, but the statement said that US…
GCHQ warns of fresh threat from Chinese state-sponsored hackers
The UK’s cybersecurity agency has urged operators of critical national infrastructure, including energy and telecommunications networks, to prevent Chinese state-sponsored hackers from hiding on their systems. The National Cyber Security Centre, part of GCHQ, issued the warning after it emerged that a Chinese hacking group known as Volt Typhoon had targeted a US military outpost in the Pacific Ocean. The so-called Five Eyes intelligence group – the US, the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand – issued a joint notice detailing the nature of the Volt Typhoon threat and how…
China revises military conscription laws in space warfare push
China’s government has revised its conscription laws, allowing retired service people to re-enlist and increasing recruitment focused on expertise in space and cyberwarfare. The amended regulations, approved by the state council and the central military commission, came into force on Monday, and covered all aspects of China’s military recruitment and personnel deployment processes, for domestic emergencies and wartime. The changes aim to provide “institutional guarantees for consolidating national defence and building strong armed forces”, state media reported. China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has undergone a major overhaul and modernisation under…