By NewsBlogger The UK has faced cyber-attacks from Chinese state-backed actors, leading to concerns about threats to democratic freedoms and national security, with the US and UK taking joint action against the hackers.
At a glance
- UK faces cyber-attacks from Chinese state-backed actors
- Electoral Commission confirms cyber-attack accessing data of 40 million UK voters
- APT31 group likely responsible for targeting British parliamentarians critical of China
- US and UK take joint action against Chinese hackers
- China aims to be a world-leading power in artificial intelligence
The details
The UK has faced a series of cyber-attacks from Chinese state-backed actors, raising concerns about threats to democratic freedoms and national security.
In March last year, an integrated review of the UK’s defense and foreign policy highlighted the need to protect the country from Chinese state attacks.
The Electoral Commission confirmed that a cyber-attack accessed the personal data of 40 million UK voters, with an unnamed Chinese state-backed actor identified as the assailant.
A Beijing-affiliated group called APT31 was likely responsible for targeting the email accounts of four British parliamentarians critical of China.
This cyber-threat extends beyond democratic institutions to include the economy, critical national infrastructure, and supply chains.
It has been revealed that China has the resources for aggressive cyber-espionage operations, with a vast number of civil intelligence officers and a sophisticated cyber-espionage operation.
Chinese hackers have targeted organizations worldwide in various industries, such as biotechnology, aerospace, renewable energy, and microchips, to secure data and intellectual property.
China has been accused of attempting to steal intellectual property from Western companies, with a Chinese government intelligence officer sentenced to 20 years in prison in the US for such crimes.
The US and UK have taken joint action against Chinese hackers, charging seven alleged hackers with conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and wire fraud.
China’s cyber operations range from traditional cyber-espionage for national security to targeting rival states, attacking non-governmental organizations, and stealing trade secrets.
China aims to be a world-leading power in artificial intelligence, raising concerns that hacks like the Electoral Commission could have serious consequences as many countries head to the polls.
The adoption of generative artificial intelligence could increase disruption, allow for more sophisticated misinformation techniques, and influence voters.
In response to the cyber-attacks, the US, UK, and New Zealand they announced sanctions against China.
China targeted MPs and peers who are members of the Inter-parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac). The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NTSC) is considered world-leading in cybersecurity.
The Chinese government dismissed the allegations as “malicious slander” and announced sanctions against two individuals.
The attack on the Electoral Commission was discovered in October 2022 and publicly acknowledged in August 2023—the attack on MPs and peers involved “spear phishing” emails to extract sensitive information.
The UK’s response to the attacks has been criticized for being inadequate.
China has been accused of targeting large datasets of information on individuals in the past.
The US government announced record funding to decarbonize industry facilities in the country.
Deputy Prime Minister made a statement on cybersecurity and China-backed attempts to undermine UK democracy.
MPs had time to sharpen insults in response to the statement.
Concerns have been raised about a shift in Sino-British relations.
The government has banned TikTok and HikVision from government devices and buildings.
Sanctions have been announced against individuals and small companies, reducing China’s involvement in UK civil nuclear infrastructure.
Measures have been taken to protect university campuses from interference.
An MP raised suspicion of China, Russia, and Iran spreading conspiracy theories about the royal family.
There have been calls for China to be bumped up to an enhanced tier of the foreign influence registration scheme.
Questions have been raised about Chinese motivations and the extent of attempts to disrupt the UK’s democratic system.
The US is expected to make a statement on the issue later on.
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| theguardian.com |
|---|
| – In March last year, an integrated review of the UK’s defense and foreign policy aimed to protect the country’s democratic freedoms from Chinese state attacks. – The Electoral Commission confirmed that a cyber-attack accessed the data of 40 million voters, with an unnamed Chinese state-backed actor identified as the assailant. – A Beijing-affiliated group called APT31 was likely responsible for targeting the email accounts of four British parliamentarians critical of China. – The Chinese cyber-threat extends beyond democratic institutions to include the economy, critical national infrastructure, and supply chains. – China has the resources for aggressive cyber-espionage operations, with hundreds of thousands of civil intelligence officers and a sophisticated cyber-espionage operation. – Data-gathering operations are global and conducted on an industrial scale, potentially combining voter data with other information to target specific individuals or groups. – Chinese hackers have targeted organizations worldwide in industries like biotechnology, aerospace, renewable energy, and microchips to secure data and intellectual property. – China has been accused of trying to steal intellectual property from western companies, with a Chinese government intelligence officer sentenced to 20 years in prison in the US for such crimes. – China’s cyber operations range from traditional cyber-espionage for national security to targeting rival states, attacking non-governmental organizations, and stealing trade secrets. – The US and UK have taken joint action against Chinese hackers, charging seven alleged hackers with conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and wire fraud. – China aims to be a world-leading power in artificial intelligence, with concerns that hacks like the Electoral Commission could have serious consequences as many countries head to the polls. – The adoption of generative artificial intelligence could increase disruption, allow for more sophisticated misinformation techniques, and influence voters. – The UK has vowed to take swift and robust actions against Chinese government threats to the country’s interests. |
| theguardian.com |
|---|
| – The Chinese government has personal details of 40 million UK voters from a hack on the Electoral Commission – The US, UK, and New Zealand announced sanctions in response to Chinese cyber-attacks – China targeted MPs and peers who are members of the Inter-parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac) – The US and UK blamed a Chinese state-backed group called Advanced Persistent Threat 31 (APT 31) for the attacks – The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NTSC) is considered world-leading in cybersecurity – China dismissed the allegations as “malicious slander” and announced sanctions against two individuals – The attack on the Electoral Commission was discovered in October 2022 and publicly acknowledged in August 2023 – The attack on MPs and peers involved “spear phishing” emails to extract sensitive information – The UK’s response to the attacks has been criticized for being inadequate – China has been accused of targeting large datasets of information on individuals in the past – The US government announced record funding to decarbonize industry facilities in the country |
| theguardian.com |
|---|
| – Deputy Prime Minister made statement on cybersecurity and China-backed attempts to undermine UK democracy – MPs had time to sharpen insults in response to the statement – Chinese state-affiliated actors responsible for two cyber-campaigns in UK – Breaches were ultimately unsuccessful and did not harm political processes or institutions – Concerns raised about shift in Sino-British relations – Government has banned TikTok and HikVision from government devices and buildings – Sanctions announced against individuals and small company, reduced China’s involvement in UK civil nuclear infrastructure – Measures taken to protect university campuses from interference – MP raised suspicion of China, Russia, and Iran spreading conspiracy theories about the royal family – Calls for China to be bumped up to enhanced tier of foreign influence registration scheme – Questions raised about Chinese motivations and extent of attempts to disrupt UK’s democratic system – US to make statement on the issue later on |
