Cyber ​​Attack on Ministry of Defence

The British Ministry of Defense has been the target of a cyber attack targeting the military’s pay system, prompting the government on Tuesday, May 7, to launch fresh accusations against China, which the latter firmly denied.

According to the Sky News television channel, the data breach involved the names and bank details of members of the armed forces serving in the navy and the land and air forces, as well as veterans. Individual addresses also appear in this data. According to multiple media outlets, the government suspects that China is behind the cyber attack, despite the British administration’s caution.

“There are indications that a malicious actor compromised the Armed Forces payment network”, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told British television, insisting that the Defense Ministry had already taken the targeted network offline. Representing the government in front of the British media on Tuesday morning, Labor Minister Mel Stride said he could not. “Confirm” Beijing is responsible and that it ” A hypothesis ».

Targeting a third-party database

As relations between London and Beijing have deteriorated significantly in recent years, the Chinese government represents “Historic Challenge” And “Our eyes are open to China”The minister continued.

Beijing responded quickly and decisively. “The comments of the British politicians concerned are utter nonsense”Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said. “China always resolutely opposes and resolutely suppresses all forms of cyber attacks”he said.

British authorities discovered the cyber attack in recent days, according to several British media outlets. Hackers may not have recovered any data from the computer. The security department was quick to take the database offline Mel Stride said he was targeted by the attack. The target is not the Ministry of Defense database, but a third-party target.

Secretary of State for Defense Grant Shabbs will address parliament on the matter today, but he is not expected to name anyone specifically responsible. On the other hand, according to the BBC, he will warn about the dangers of cyber espionage.

MP Tobias Ellwood, former chairman of the parliamentary security committee, said the attack had all the hallmarks of a Chinese cyberattack. “Targeting links to employee names and bank details for China”He told the BBC. “It could be part of a plan, a strategy.”he added.