LONDON – The United States and the United Kingdom on Monday accused hackers linked to the Chinese state of being behind “malicious” cyber campaigns targeting political figures, in moves expected to raise tensions with Beijing.
The British government also claimed that Chinese hackers were behind an attack that accessed the data of millions of voters.
“I can confirm today that Chinese state actors were responsible for two malicious cyber campaigns that targeted our democratic institutions and parliamentarians,” British Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden said in a speech to Parliament on Monday.
Dowden attributed the hacking of the Electoral Commission, the independent agency charged with setting standards for how elections are run in the United Kingdom, to a Chinese state actor. The campaigns were said to have taken place between 2021 and 2022.
The attack was identified by the electoral commission in October 2022, but was not revealed until last year. The Electoral Commission said in a public notice for 2023 that hackers accessed the names and addresses of anyone in Britain registered to vote between 2014 and 2022.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the UK said that allegations that China was behind cyberattacks in the UK were “completely fabricated and malicious fabrications”.
“We strongly oppose such accusations,” a Chinese embassy spokesperson told reporters at a news conference on Monday, according to an update posted on its website. “China has always resolutely fought all forms of cyber attacks in accordance with the law,” he added.
“clear pattern”
Dowden said the UK believes China is behind an attempt to survey British lawmakers' email accounts in the summer of 2021. He accused Chinese hacking group APT31 of being behind this attack.
Cybersecurity firm Mandiant, owned by Google, describes APT31 as a “China-linked cyber espionage outfit focused on obtaining information that could provide the Chinese government and state-owned enterprises with political, economic, and military advantages.”
Dowden added that attempts to hack British lawmakers' email accounts were “unsuccessful.”
“We now want to be as open as possible with the House of Representatives and the British public,” Dowden said. “This is the latest in a clear pattern of hostile activity originating in China.”
Dowden said the UK had imposed sanctions on two individuals residing within China, as well as an entity affiliated with APT31.
America attacks China
Separately, the US Department of Justice unveiled an indictment accusing state-linked Chinese hackers of being behind cyber campaigns targeting US companies, government officials and politicians.
The Ministry of Justice charged seven Chinese nationals: Ni Zhaobin; Weng Ming; Cheng Feng; Peng Yawen; Sun Xiaohui; Xiong Wang; and Zhao Guangzhong, for conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their involvement in a China-based hacking group that spent 14 years targeting U.S. and foreign critics, businesses, and political officials.
The Justice Department said these individuals worked as part of the hacking group APT31.
“The Department of Justice will not tolerate the Chinese government’s efforts to intimidate Americans who serve the public, silence dissidents protected by American laws, or steal American companies,” Attorney General Merrick P. Garland said in a statement Monday.
“This case serves as a reminder of the goals the Chinese government wishes to achieve by targeting and intimidating its critics, including waging malicious cyber operations aimed at threatening the national security of the United States and our allies,” Garland added.
Geopolitical tensions
Announcements from the UK and US are likely to anger Beijing.
Relations between the UK and China have been strained over the years, particularly on the technology front, following actions taken by the British government aimed at stemming national security risks from Chinese technology companies.
“The impact of such a breach on UK-China relations could be profound,” Javad Malik, senior security awareness advocate at cybersecurity firm KnowBe4, told CNBC on Monday via email.
“This is likely to escalate tensions, creating diplomatic tension and potentially leading to retaliation in the cyber domain or other areas of bilateral cooperation.”
Malik added that the situation “requires a strong response not only in terms of securing compromised systems and preventing further breaches but also in strengthening international legal and standards-based systems that govern state behavior in cyberspace.”
“To mitigate the consequences and prevent future incidents, it is important for countries to invest in stronger cybersecurity defenses, international cooperation, and develop capabilities to deter adversaries in cyberspace,” he said.
Some hawkish lawmakers are pressing the UK government to take tougher action on China.
The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, a cross-border group of lawmakers seeking to reform policy toward China, said Monday in a post on the social media platform China for some time.
“We take this opportunity to highlight that, while not at all welcome, our discomfort pales in comparison to Chinese dissidents who risk their lives to oppose the Chinese Communist Party. It is time for their host governments to receive greater support,” the group said. .
In 2020, for example, the UK government banned Huawei telecom equipment in its 5G mobile network, citing espionage concerns. For its part, Huawei denies these accusations and says it will not cooperate with China to spy on Western communications.
Relations between the United States and China have also come under great pressure. US lawmakers recently approved a controversial bill that could lead to TikTok being banned in the US if it does not break away from Chinese parent company ByteDance.
If the bill becomes law, TikTok would have just under six months to divest from ByteDance, or it would be banned from apps and hosting sites in the United States.
