A number of Tory MPs have slammed the government’s response to a national security breach inflicted on the UK by hackers from China.
Cybersecurity Breach Unveiled
Recent revelations by security services have exposed a significant breach in cybersecurity by hackers associated with China.
Hackers Gain Access to Personal Data
Hackers managed to access the personal data of millions of UK voters and attempted to infiltrate parliamentary email accounts.
Electoral Commission Targeted
The Government has officially attributed the cyber attack on the Electoral Commission in August 2021 to China.
40 Million Voters Affected
The breach compromised the personal information of over 40 million individuals registered on the electoral roll.
Tory MP Scrutiny
Tory MPs have publicly criticised their own Party after the security breach, with one MP warning that China will see this as an opportunity to carry out more attacks.
Calls for Tougher Response
Former Immigration Minister Robert Jenrick slammed the government’s response to the attacks as “feeble” suggesting that the worst is yet to come.
Government Not Going Far Enough
According to Jenrick, “The Government clearly is not holding China to account for their attack on our democracy,” before issuing a warning about the future.
Tory’s Delayed Response
Jenrick highlighted that it took the government years to issue a response that linked China to the attacks, “Taking three years to sanction two individuals and a small company is derisory.”
Jenrick’s Warning to the Public
Jenrick warned that China will only see this as an opportunity for further attacks, “This feeble response will only embolden China to continue its aggression towards the UK,” he said.
UK Government Issues Sanctions
The government responded to the revelation that China was behind the cyber attacks by issuing sanctions against the country.
China’s Hostile Behaviour
According to Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, the attacks show a “clear and persistent pattern of behaviour that signals hostile intent from China”.
Working With China Despite Hacks
Dowden insisted that the country would continue to work with China but only if it benefitted the UK, revealing that the country will “continue to engage… When it’s in our national interest.”
China as a “Threat”
Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman criticised the government’s response by calling out Dowden’s inability to label China as a “threat.”
Braverman Insists China Is “Hostile”
Braverman slammed the Prime Minister’s response, arguing, “It is abundantly clear that China is a hostile state.”
Labelling China as a “Threat”
Referencing Dowden’s refusal to label China as a “Threat,” Braverman took matters into her own hands, saying China “poses an unprecedented threat to our national security.”
Sunak Follows US Footsteps
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared that the UK would be carefully distancing itself from relying on China, something the US has been doing for some time.
China Becoming “Assertive”
“We’ve been very clear that the situation now is that China is behaving in an increasingly assertive way,” said the Prime Minister in a statement.
China the “Greatest Threat”
Not only did Sunak admit that tackling China would be an “epoch-defining challenge,” but he also slammed China as “the greatest state-based threat to our economic security.”
Attempted Email Access
Chinese hacking group APT31 was identified as responsible for unsuccessful attempts to breach Parliament’s computer network.
Dowden’s Sanctions Revealed
Dowden announced that a number of members connected to the cybergroup have been sanctioned as a result of the attempted breach.
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