Both the U.S. and British governments have imposed sanctions on a company and two individuals connected to the Chinese government for engaging in malicious cyber activities targeting the U.K.’s election watchdog and lawmakers in both countries.
Authorities stated that those sanctioned were involved in a hack that potentially accessed data on millions of U.K. voters held by the Electoral Commission, as well as cyber espionage aimed at lawmakers who have been vocal about the threat posed by China.
The Foreign Office clarified that the breach of the election registers did not impact electoral processes, individual rights, or access to the democratic process, nor did it affect electoral registration.
The Electoral Commission disclosed in August that a breach was detected in its system in October 2022, with hostile actors gaining access to its servers since 2021.
The compromised data included names and addresses of registered voters, although much of this information was already public knowledge.
In Washington, the Treasury Department sanctioned Wuhan Xiaoruizhi Science and Technology Company Ltd., described as a front company for the Chinese Ministry of State Security engaged in malicious cyber operations.
Two Chinese nationals, Zhao Guangzong and Ni Gaobin, affiliated with the Wuhan company, were named for cyber operations targeting critical U.S. infrastructure sectors, posing a direct threat to national security.
Meanwhile, British cybersecurity officials revealed that Chinese government-linked hackers conducted reconnaissance activities against British lawmakers critical of Beijing in 2021, with no successful compromise of parliamentary accounts.
Members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, including former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith, reported being targeted with harassment, impersonation, and attempted hacking by Chinese actors.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak emphasized China’s aggressive behavior abroad, labeling it as the greatest state-based threat to economic security and affirming the need for protective measures.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs called for evidence-based claims regarding cybersecurity issues, urging parties to refrain from spreading false information and work together to maintain peace and security in cyberspace.
