UK accuses China in massive voter data hacking incident

The U.K. government is set to inform Parliament of China's involvement in cyberattacks that accessed the personal details of approximately 40 million voters and targeted several politicians.

Electoral Commission's Chief Executive Shaun McNally admitted the gravity of the situation.

"We regret that sufficient protections were not in place to prevent this cyberattack," he said, outlining the breach's extent. It affected registered voters in Great Britain, overseas voters, and Northern Ireland residents during specified periods.

Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden will address Parliament, detailing these attacks linked to the Chinese state.

The government plans to impose sanctions on individuals connected to these activities, signifying a firm stance against state-sponsored cyber interference.

The breach, initially reported by the Electoral Commission in August 2021, exposed vulnerabilities in the U.K.'s data security systems.

McNally highlighted the uncertainty around the files accessed, stating, "We know which systems were accessible to the hostile actors but are not able to know conclusively what files may or may not have been accessed."

Several MPs and peers, notably critical of China's policies, have received briefings on the cyber threats they face.

This group includes former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith and other members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, an assembly that scrutinizes China's global influence.

Source: Newsroom