The United Kingdom, along with Britain, is reportedly accusing China-linked hackers of being the main perpetrators for two detected cyberattacks, one identified in October 2022 and one in the summer of 2021.
British Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden reportedly made the assertions in a speech to Parliament on Monday, claiming that two malevolent cyber efforts targeting lawmakers and democratic institutions were carried out by Chinese state-affiliated entities.
(Photo: Photo by GREG BAKER/AFP via Getty Images) TOPSHOT - This photo taken on June 4, 2019, shows the Chinese flag behind razor wire at a housing compound in Yangisar, south of Kashgar, in China's western Xinjiang region
Dowden linked the attack to the Electoral Commission, an independent organization in charge of establishing guidelines for how U.K. elections should be run, to a state actor connected to China. It was stated that the campaigns happened in 2021 and 2022. Reuters states that although the hack was made public last year, Britain has not yet identified the perpetrator.
The Electoral Commission detected the Attack in October 2022, but it wasn't made public until last year. In 2023, the Commission announced that hackers had access to the names and addresses of every British voter who registered to vote between 2014 and 2022.
Britain sanctioned two people and one business linked to the state-sponsored Chinese hacking team APT31 in response to the attempt in 2021 to compromise the emails of British Members of Parliament who were critical of China.
China's Response
A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy has responded to the claims, stating that the allegations of China's purported cyberattacks against the UK are baseless and entirely untrue. The spokespersons claim to strongly deny these accusations.
They further state that China does not sponsor, encourage, or condone cyberattacks and that China has always vigorously battled all types of cyberattacks by law. The spokesperson concludes by stating that they are against the politicization of cyber-security concerns and the unfounded disparagement of other nations in the absence of concrete proof.
Biden Administration Claims Against China
United Kingdom's claim comes just days after state governors received warnings from the Biden administration about a possible cyberattack by hackers with ties to China and Iran on US water management systems.
A letter from the White House and the Environmental Protection Agency urged governors to bolster their cybersecurity defenses against potential attacks and prepare in advance.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan wrote the letter to governors, instructing them to ensure that all of their states' water systems thoroughly assess their current cybersecurity protocols.
Moreover, the US Justice Department on Monday released an indictment accusing state-affiliated Chinese hackers of planning assaults against American politicians, corporations, and government officials.
The DOJ accused seven Chinese nationals of conspiring to commit computer intrusion and wire fraud after they joined a hacking ring based in China that targeted political personalities, businesses, and rivals both locally and abroad for 14 years.
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