Government data stolen through hacking, confirms minister

Government data has been stolen in a hack, although officials believe the risk to individuals is “low”, a minister has said.

Trade Minister Chris Bryant told BBC Breakfast that “an investigation is underway” into the attack, adding that the security breach “was closed fairly quickly.”

A China-affiliated group is suspected of being behind the attack, but Bryant said investigators “just don’t know yet” who is responsible.

It is understood that this data was in systems operated on behalf of the Home Office by the Foreign Office, whose staff detected the incident.

“We think it’s a fairly low risk that individuals have been compromised or affected,” Bryant said.

It comes after the Sun newspaper reported that Chinese state-affiliated hackers accessed data in October with information possibly including visa details.

The incident has been referred to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

UK intelligence agencies have warned of increasing large-scale espionage by China, using cyber and other means, and targeting commercial and political information.

Cyber ​​agency GCHQ said last year it was devoting more resources to countering threats from China than any other nation.

“Government facilities will always be a potential target,” Bryant said Friday.

“We’re looking at the consequences of what this is.”

“This is a part of modern life that we have to face and deal with,” Bryant added, pointing to major attacks in recent years at Jaguar Land Rover, Marks & Spencer and the British Library.

Confirmation of an attack by a Chinese state group would be awkward for the government ahead of Sir Keir Starmer’s planned visit to Beijing next year, the first by a UK prime minister since 2018.

The Labor government has said it is important to engage with China as it cannot be ignored on trade, climate change and other important issues, but face-to-face meetings also provide a forum for robust exchanges on issues affecting UK security.

The Chinese government has consistently denied that it supports cyber attacks targeting the UK.

Last year, in response to the UK government’s National Security Strategy, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in London said that “allegations such as Chinese espionage, cyber attacks and transnational repression against the UK are malicious and totally fabricated smears.”

Earlier this month, Sir Keir said the UK government’s policy towards China could no longer remain “hot and cold”.

Failing to achieve a relationship with China, he said, would be a “dereliction of duty” when China is a “defining force in technology, trade and global governance.”

Instead, building a careful relationship would reinforce the UK’s place as a leader on the international stage and help secure the UK’s national interests, Sir Keir said, while acknowledging the “reality” that China “poses threats to national security”.