British Foreign Office Hacked: Cybersecurity Threats Under Scrutiny

British trade minister Chris Bryant confirmed a cyber hack targeting the government's foreign office data. The Sun newspaper attributed it to a Chinese group named Storm 1849. While some reports are speculative, Bryant assured minimal risk to individuals, and the government is actively investigating the incident.

British trade minister Chris Bryant has confirmed that the UK government's foreign office data was hacked, lending partial credence to a report by The Sun. The incident reportedly involved Chinese cyber gang Storm 1849 breaching the systems.

While speaking on Times Radio, Bryant refrained from explicitly linking the breach to Chinese operatives or the Chinese state. The Sun had claimed that the cyber gang accessed tens of thousands of visa details and had targeted critics of the Chinese government.

Bryant clarified that many details in the reports were speculative. He reassured that the government is managing the situation effectively and that the risk to individuals is low. A government spokesperson emphasized the importance of their ongoing investigation and security efforts.

(With inputs from agencies.)