UK Trade Secretary Chris Bryant confirmed on Friday that the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) was the target of a cyberattack, suggesting that it may be linked to Chinese government-affiliated hackers or the Chinese government directly, though he did not confirm this allegation, according to the Financial Times.
The report noted that independent investigations into the attack, which occurred in October, connected it to a group of Chinese hackers known as “Storm 1849,” believed to have ties to the Chinese government.
The UK government had previously refrained from confirming the attack, despite the hackers’ attempts to access tens of thousands of sensitive documents held by the Foreign Office.
The FCDO stated that it is conducting a thorough investigation into the incident, without directly identifying the party responsible.
Bryant’s comments come ahead of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s planned visit to China next month, aimed at strengthening trade relations between the two countries. This will be the first visit of its kind since former Prime Minister Theresa May’s trip in 2018.
The report also highlighted a broader rise in cyberattacks targeting both British institutions and companies. This year, companies such as Marks & Spencer and Jaguar Land Rover were also targeted, forcing Jaguar Land Rover to temporarily halt manufacturing. UK Treasury Secretary Rachel Reeves noted that some of these attacks are linked to hostile nations, including Russia.
