British Foreign Secretary Cameron said today that targeted attacks on the British democratic system and political process by organizations and individuals linked to Chinese officials were “completely unacceptable” and that he had spoken “directly” to the Chinese foreign minister.wang yiTalk about this issue.
David Cameron, who took over as Foreign Secretary in November last year, spoke by phone with Wang Yi in December and then held bilateral talks with Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference in February this year.
British Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden announced in Parliament this afternoon that he will impose sanctions on two individuals and an entity linked to Chinese officials in response to China’s malicious cyber attacks on the British Electoral Commission and Members of Parliament. A spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office confirmed that Cameron had called Zheng Zeguang, the Chinese ambassador to Britain, and sought clarification from China.
The spokesman also said that Cameron would make it clear to China that its behavior is “unacceptable” and that Britain “will not tolerate it”.
The British Foreign Office announced today that the two individuals and one entity sanctioned are Chinese nationals Ni Gaobin and Zhao Guangzhong, andWuhanXiao Ruizi Technology Co., Ltd. These individuals and entities all belong to the Internet organization APT31.
The British government reported in 2021 that the Chinese Ministry of National Security was behind the internet organizations APT31 and APT40. APT31 and APT40 attacked networks around the world through the Microsoft email service Exchange Server in 2021, affecting more than 250,000 users.
According to the British government’s interdepartmental sanctions database, Ni Gaobin, who was born in 1985, is a member of APT31 and has been involved in planning, supporting or commissioning cyberattack operations. Typical projects include “phishing” for specific targets, information system interference, and unauthorized execution. Receive and send sensitive information to officials, official agencies, and members of Congress.
Zhao Guangzhong was also born in 1985 and is a member of APT31. His “deeds” are similar to those of Nie Gaobin. As for “Wuhan Xiaorui Smart Technology,” the database shows that the company belongs to APT31 and implements cyberattacks “on behalf of the Chinese government.” Related actions are aimed at undermining prosperity, stability and the democratic political process. UK. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that “Wuhan Xiaorui Smart Technology” is a “front company”.
Both Taunton and the British Foreign Office stressed that China’s actions were “unsuccessful”: the hackers failed to damage the online accounts of British MPs, and although the British Electoral Commission’s information systems were hacked, they Did not influence the electoral process or the people’s choice. Rights registration and voting eligibility have been affected. The Election Committee also upgradedinformation securityProtective capability.
The British Foreign Office reported that with the support of allies of the international intelligence-sharing alliance “Five Eyes” and investigations by professional units such as the British “National Cyber Security Center” (NCSC), the British government was today able to publicly recognize that Enabled that China as well as relevant organizations and individuals should be held accountable for two malicious cyber attacks from 2021 to 2022.
According to the NCSC’s assessment, APT31 is “highly likely” to be involved in attacks on British Electoral Commission information systems in 2021 to 2022. Furthermore, the NCSC is “almost certain” that APT31 will also launch a cyber reconnaissance campaign against British MPs in 2021; Most of the targeted lawmakers have a specific profile as they criticize China’s malign activities.
The Foreign Office stressed that the British government has taken measures to strengthen its defenses against cyber attacks. The British government’s inter-departmental “Defending Democracy Taskforce” and the “National Security Act” passed in 2023 also provide the government, parliament, security agencies and law enforcement agencies with the tools needed to thwart hostile activities. NCSC has also updated its information security guidelines.
Over the past two years, the NCSC has warned several times that critical infrastructure in various countries is one of the targets of China’s officially sponsored cyber attacks, and that hackers or malware may remain hidden for long periods of time.
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