A UK government minister has confirmed that a cyberattack targeted government systems in October, though authorities have not yet determined who was responsible.
Speaking on Friday, Trade Department Minister Chris Bryant acknowledged that a hacking incident had occurred, partially confirming reports published by The Sun, which claimed that a China-linked group had accessed Foreign Office data.
“There was clearly a cyber breach,” Bryant told Times Radio, but stressed that it was too early to attribute the attack to China or any specific foreign actor. “I cannot say whether it was carried out by Chinese operatives or connected to the Chinese state,” he added.
The newspaper identified the alleged hacking group as Storm 1849, claiming the breach may have exposed tens of thousands of visa-related records. However, Bryant described such reports as speculative, noting that investigations are still underway. He said the government currently believes the risk to individuals remains low.
“We were able to secure the system very quickly,” Bryant told Sky News, explaining that the incident stemmed from a technical vulnerability on one government website.
According to The Sun, Storm 1849 is believed to be part of a China-aligned cyber network accused of targeting politicians and organisations critical of Beijing. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said earlier this month that China presents national security challenges for the UK, though he has defended increased diplomatic engagement with Beijing. Starmer is expected to travel to China in late January, according to sources.
The Foreign Office breach comes amid a series of high-profile cyber incidents in the UK this year. Earlier attacks forced car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover to halt production for five weeks, while retailer Marks & Spencer temporarily suspended online orders for six weeks.
Responding to questions about the latest incident, the Foreign Office said it is continuing to investigate the matter. “We take the protection of our systems and data extremely seriously,” a government spokesperson said.
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