Servers at the Foreign Office have been breached, with reports indicating that Chinese hackers have gained unauthorized access to confidential data and information. Business Minister Sir Chris Bryant acknowledged the security breach of Government servers but refrained from attributing involvement to China.
The Government has been in discussions with the Information Commissioner to assess the impact of the breach, stating a “fairly low risk” of individual compromise or impact. The investigation into the breach has been ongoing since October.
Recent reports from the Sun revealed that a China-linked cyber group, Storm-1849, targeted government servers in October, raising concerns about potential theft of personal or sensitive data. Storm-1849 is known as a cyber espionage group, and in 2024, the UK government attributed “malicious” cyber activities to China against MPs and the Electoral Commission.
Regarding the recent breach, Sir Chris mentioned that an investigation is ongoing, with efforts made to swiftly address the security gap. Uncertainty remains about the link to China, emphasizing the ongoing nature of the inquiry.
Cyber attacks are acknowledged as a modern-day challenge by the trade minister, citing previous incidents at JLR, Marks and Spencer’s, and the British Library. The Government spokesperson reiterated a commitment to investigating the cyber incident and emphasized the significance of safeguarding system security and data integrity.
