China suspected of UK’s defence ministry payroll hack: Reports
The UK Parliament is set to receive a briefing from the defense minister on Tuesday following reports of a significant data breach affecting the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and targeting personnel from the Royal Navy, Army, and Royal Air Force.
According to the BBC, the government suspects China’s involvement in the hack of the armed forces payroll system, which is managed by an external contractor and contains data of both current and some former armed forces members.
However, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps is not expected to explicitly accuse China when addressing members of Parliament in the House of Commons, as the investigation is still ongoing.
The MoD’s system contains names and bank details of armed forces personnel, and in a few cases, personal addresses may also be included. Government sources emphasize that no operational MoD data has been compromised in the breach, and the motive behind the attack remains unclear.
The MoD has taken immediate action by taking the system offline while investigations are underway. Additionally, the ministry is notifying and providing support and guidance to those affected, including informing veterans’ organizations of the situation and offering assistance.
Salaries of armed forces personnel are expected to be paid as usual.
Conservative Party MP and former soldier Tobias Ellwood suggested to Sky News that China may have targeted financially vulnerable individuals with the intention of coercing them in exchange for money.
This incident follows previous accusations by the British government of “malicious” cyberattack campaigns carried out by “state-affiliated actors” from China. In March, the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) attributed cyber intrusions to Chinese entities, including an attack on the Electoral Commission systems between 2021 and 2022. Additionally, reconnaissance activity against British parliamentarians was attributed to the China state-affiliated APT31 in 2021. Although these attempts to interfere with UK democracy were unsuccessful, sanctions were imposed on two individuals and one company associated with APT31.
Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden emphasized the UK’s commitment to protecting its democratic institutions and values, stating that the government will continue to call out and hold the Chinese government accountable for such cyber operations targeting democratic processes worldwide.
