For respective years, Chinese intelligence had access to key people's phones in the British government. It is about co-workers of Prime Ministers Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak from 2021 to 2024. The information was released by The Telegraph. Sources talk straight of breaking into “the very heart of Downing Street”.
It has not been confirmed whether the prime ministers' phones were besides targeted. The scale of the operation, however, is serious. Hackers may have had access to calls, messages, metadata and the location of officials. This raises questions about the real safety of the state.
The British case was part of a global cyber investigation operation known as Salt Typhoon. According to the U.S., it was 1 of the most effective spy campaigns in cyberwar history. The goal was telecommunications networks in the US and the countries of the 5 Eyes alliance: large Britain, Australia, Canada and fresh Zealand.
Only in 2024 did the service full realize the scale of the burglaries. The FBI warned that China had access to the telecommunications infrastructure in the world. This gave the ability to eavesdrop on calls, read text messages and track the location of millions. Anne Neuberger of the U.S. administration admitted that hackers could evidence talks "at her discretion".
The disclosure coincides with a delicate political moment. Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits China. This is the first specified visit since 2018. Its aim is to rebuild trade relations and attract investment.
The government besides agreed to build a large Chinese embassy in London, close key infrastructure. Critics see it as besides soft for Beijing. Alicia Kearns directs that the government ignores further threat signals.
Unlike the US, which publically acknowledged that Chinese hackers were attacking politicians in the 2024 election campaign, London is limited to laconic messages. MI5 warned parliamentarians, but the case was not publicised for a long time.
The Committee on Intelligence and safety has late assessed that Britain has no coherent strategy towards China. According to her, the state is "distressingly incapable to cope with the threat".
Beijing denies everything and speaks of "politicising cybersecurity". However, the Western services are compatible. China present is among the most aggressive and advanced players in cyber intelligence.
The biggest unknown is how much information China has already acquired. Not just about Britain. besides about another countries. Including Poland.
