The UK Parliament anticipates receiving a briefing from the defence minister today concerning a significant data breach reportedly affecting the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and targeting personnel from the Royal Navy, Army, and Royal Air Force.
As per BBC reports, suspicions point towards China as the orchestrator behind the breach of the armed forces payroll system, managed by an external contractor and containing data of current and former armed forces members.
Although Defence Secretary Grant Shapps is unlikely to directly attribute the breach to China during his update to Parliament in the House of Commons, the investigation is ongoing.
The MoD's system holds names and bank details of armed forces personnel, with a small number potentially containing personal addresses. Government sources emphasize that no operational MoD data was obtained, leaving the motive behind the breach uncertain.
Immediate action has been taken by the MoD, with the system being taken offline while investigations proceed. The ministry is also notifying and providing support to affected individuals, including informing veterans' organizations and offering guidance and assistance.
Despite the breach, salaries for armed forces personnel are expected to be disbursed as scheduled.
Conservative Party MP and former soldier Tobias Ellwood suggested to 'Sky News' that China may have targeted financially vulnerable individuals in exchange for cash.
This incident follows previous attributions by the British government of "malicious" cyberattack campaigns to China's "state-affiliated actors."In March, the government revealed findings by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), indicating compromise of the UK’s Electoral Commission systems by a Chinese entity between 2021 and 2022.
The NCSC also asserted that the China state-affiliated APT31 conducted reconnaissance against British parliamentarians in 2021. Though these attempts to interfere with UK democracy were unsuccessful, they resulted in sanctions against individuals and companies linked to APT31.
Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden emphasized the UK’s stance against cyber threats to democratic institutions, holding the Chinese government accountable for its actions and urging global awareness of state-sponsored cyber operations targeting politicians and democratic processes.
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