Cybersecurity threats have been on the rise in recent years, and several governments, including the UK, US, and New Zealand, have confirmed that they were victims of state-sponsored cyber attacks linked to China. The British Deputy Prime Minister announced in the House of Commons that both the British Electoral Commission’s systems and the private devices of several parliamentarians had been hacked. The National Center for Cybersecurity stated that the cybercriminals responsible were believed to be working on behalf of the Chinese government.
The US Department of Justice revealed more details about the cyber attacks, stating that the same hackers targeted various sectors in the USA, including the White House, judicial, commercial, and financial sectors. Additionally, several members of Congress from both parties were also targeted.
The New Zealand government also confirmed that their Parliament server had fallen victim to state-sponsored cyber activity linked to China. All three governments reported attacks that occurred in 2021 and 2022.
A public indictment from the US Department of Justice identified the hacker group responsible as “APT 31”, operating out of Wuhan, China. The group is linked to the Chinese Ministry of National Security and has targeted critics of the Communist Party as well as stealing business secrets.
The hackers primarily used phishing emails to gain access to personal data, passwords, and even internet routers of their victims. Political decision-makers were particularly targeted in all three countries due to their involvement with committees dealing with China. The extent of these attacks on political figures is alarming as both the UK and US imposed sanctions on those involved.
China denied any involvement in these attacks and condemned sanctions imposed by other countries. However, tensions between these countries remain high due to these incidents raising concerns about cybersecurity and protecting sensitive information.
In conclusion, state-sponsored cyber attacks are becoming increasingly common worldwide, posing a significant threat to national security and political stability. Governments must take action to protect their citizens’ privacy and ensure that sensitive information is safeguarded from unauthorized access or theft by malicious actors such as APT 31 operating out of Wuhan, China.