The British government is poised to unveil revelations about a significant cyber-attack originating from China, targeting the personal details of millions of UK voters.
According to reports, this assault also encompassed an intrusion into the Electoral Commission’s database, compromising the information of approximately 40 million voters.
Expected to disclose comprehensive details on Monday, Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden is anticipated to attribute these cyber-attacks to the Chinese state.
The government is contemplating imposing sanctions on individuals suspected of involvement in these orchestrated acts of interference.
Quoting Dowden’s forthcoming statement, “Beijing is behind this wave of cyber-attacks,” underscores the gravity of the situation.
As pressure mounts on the UK to formulate a response, considerations for implementing sanctions against implicated individuals are reportedly high on the agenda.
A select group of politicians, known for their stern stance on China, were reportedly briefed by Parliament’s security director, Alison Giles.
Among them were figures such as former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, former minister Tim Loughton, crossbench peer Lord Alton, and SNP MP Stewart McDonald, all members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac).
Ipac’s executive director, Luke de Pulford, highlighted the concerning trend of Chinese-sponsored cyber-attacks targeting foreign politicians who oppose Beijing’s policies.
Notably, similar attacks have been acknowledged by Belgian and French authorities in the past.
This revelation comes in the wake of the arrest of a US Army intelligence analyst charged with attempting to sell sensitive defense information to China.
Concurrently, the UK government is advancing reforms to its espionage laws, with the Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Bill slated for discussion in the Commons on Monday.
The proposed legislation aims to enhance the UK’s investigatory powers framework to better address evolving threats, including provisions facilitating agencies’ access to and retention of bulk datasets.
These measures respond to findings from a statutory review conducted by the Home Office in February 2023, signaling the government’s commitment to bolstering national security measures.
