The UK government is set to reveal that the personal details of millions of voters have been accessed in a cyber-attack believed to be orchestrated by China. MPs and peers are among the 43 individuals targeted, with the Electoral Commission also falling victim to the breach.
Ministers are expected to name Beijing as the culprit behind the cyber-attacks, sparking discussions of imposing sanctions on those involved. A group of politicians, including former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and SNP MP Stewart McDonald, are reportedly being briefed on the situation.
The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac), a pressure group focusing on China-related issues, is said to be preparing to address the matter publicly. Luke de Pulford, Ipac’s executive director, highlighted the increasing threat posed by Beijing’s cyber-attacks on foreign politicians.
In a separate incident, a US army intelligence analyst was recently arrested for allegedly conspiring to sell sensitive defense information to China. As the UK continues to grapple with cybersecurity challenges, reforms to spying laws are also underway in parliament.
The Investigatory Powers (Amendment) Bill, aimed at updating the UK’s investigatory powers framework to combat evolving threats, is set to be discussed in the Commons. If passed, the legislation will enhance agencies’ abilities to examine and retain bulk datasets, ensuring the country’s security measures remain robust in the face of cyber threats.