China-affiliated group implicated in UK government cyber attack, data theft
Government systems in the United Kingdom have been breached in a cyber attack linked to China, with suspicions pointing to a group called Storm 1849, according to a report from the BBC.
The incident involved sensitive data handled by the Foreign Office on behalf of the Home Office, and though officials say the risk to individuals remains low, the breach has triggered a full-blown investigation across multiple agencies.
Trade Minister Chris Bryant confirmed on Friday that the breach was real and being investigated.“We think that it is a fairly low-risk that individuals will have been compromised or affected,” Chris said.
He also made it clear that the security loophole had been “closed pretty quickly.”
Still, when asked by Times Radio about whether the attack was linked directly to the Chinese state, he replied, “I’m not able to say whether it is directly related to Chinese operatives, or indeed the Chinese state.”
Officials confirm breach involved government-run visa data systems
The October cyber incident may have targeted visa-related data, putting thousands of sensitive records at risk.
The Foreign Office detected the activity, and the case has now been referred to the Information Commissioner’s Office. The UK government has not publicly named the perpetrators, but Chris said agencies were “working to investigate” what happened.
The suspected involvement of a China-affiliated group brings even more attention to recent alerts from UK intelligence services.
Agencies including GCHQ have repeatedly warned that China’s espionage operations are becoming more aggressive, especially when it comes to stealing political and commercial information. GCHQ stated last year that more resources were being thrown at dealing with China than any other country.
When asked about the UK’s digital readiness, Jamie MacColl, a Senior Research Fellow in Cyber and Tech at the Royal United Services Institute, said part of the problem is that departments still rely on old IT systems.
“This can be particularly acute in the public sector because they don’t have the money,” Jamie said, adding that “procurement can be a race to the bottom,” where officials opt for the cheapest providers instead of secure ones.
Experts say old systems, weak procurement made attack possible
Jake Moore, who works as a global cybersecurity adviser for ESET, said this breach once again shows how weak government IT infrastructure really is. He told the BBC, “Often governments use old systems because they haven’t got the money to improve them.”
Jake also said departments need to “invest in better digital defences” if they want to avoid repeated attacks.
On China’s cyber tactics, he added, “We often think cyber attacks are connected to financial motivation, but this is another level that comes out of China, with espionage and monitoring systems as the key motivator.”
However, Jake also warned against jumping to conclusions. “Sophisticated cyber criminals are able to direct a cyber attack and make it look like it’s come from another country,” he said. Still, confirmation of Chinese involvement would be especially awkward right now.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is expected to visit Beijing next year, the first UK prime minister to do so since 2018.
The Labour government says dialogue with China is necessary on issues like trade and climate change, but that doesn’t mean ignoring matters of national security. “Government facilities are always going to be potentially targeted,” Chris said on Friday. “We are working through the consequences of what this is.”
The Chinese government continues to deny involvement. Last year, reacting to the UK’s National Security Strategy, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in London called the UK’s accusations “entirely fabricated, malicious slander.”
Earlier this month, Keir made it clear that the UK can’t afford to keep swinging between extremes in how it handles its relationship with China.
“Failing to navigate a relationship with China would be a dereliction of duty,” he said, adding that the country is now a “defining force in technology, trade and global governance.”
Keir also argued that building a careful relationship would help the UK remain strong on the world stage and protect its national security, all while facing the “reality” that China poses national security threats.
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