UK holds China state-affiliated organisations and individuals responsible for malicious cyber activity
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UK holds China state-affiliated cyber organisations responsible for
two malicious cyber campaigns targeting democratic institutions and
parliamentarians. Cumulative attempts to interfere with UK
democracy and politics have not been successful. UK has sanctioned
two individuals and one company linked to the China
state-affiliated group APT31 responsible for targeting UK
parliamentarians. The UK, supported by allies across the Five Eyes
partnership, have today...Request free
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UK holds China state-affiliated cyber organisations responsible for two malicious cyber campaigns targeting democratic institutions and parliamentarians. Cumulative attempts to interfere with UK democracy and politics have not been successful. UK has sanctioned two individuals and one company linked to the China state-affiliated group APT31 responsible for targeting UK parliamentarians.
First, the UK can reveal today that the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) - a part of GCHQ - assesses that the UK Electoral Commission systems were highly likely compromised by a China state-affiliated cyber entity between 2021 and 2022. The malicious cyber activity has not had an impact on electoral processes, has not affected the rights or access to the democratic process of any individual, nor has it affected electoral registration – as the Electoral Commission set out in 2023. When the compromise was discovered, the Commission worked with NCSC and security specialists to investigate the incident and acted to secure its systems to reduce the risk of future attacks. The Electoral Commission has taken steps to secure its systems against future activity. Second, NCSC assesses it is almost certain that the China state-affiliated APT31 conducted reconnaissance activity against UK parliamentarians during a separate campaign in 2021. The majority of those targeted were prominent in calling out the malign activity of China. No parliamentary accounts were successfully compromised. To date, cumulative attempts to interfere with UK democracy and politics have not been successful. The UK has bolstered its defences against these types of incidents. The Defending Democracy Taskforce and the National Security Act 2023 give Government, Parliament, the security services, and law enforcement agencies the tools they need to disrupt hostile activity. This is the latest in a clear pattern of malicious cyber activity by China state-affiliated organisations and individuals targeting democratic institutions and parliamentarians in the UK and beyond. In response, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has today sanctioned a front company and two actors involved in the operations of APT31. This sends a clear message that the UK will not tolerate malicious cyber activity against democratic institutions and parliamentarians. Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron said: “It is completely unacceptable that China state-affiliated organisations and individuals have targeted our democratic institutions and political processes. While these attempts to interfere with UK democracy have not been successful, we will remain vigilant and resilient to the threats we face. “I raised this directly with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and we have today sanctioned two individuals and one entity involved with the China state-affiliated group responsible for targeting our parliamentarians. “We will always defend ourselves from those who seek to threaten the freedoms that underpin our values and democracy. One of the reasons that it is important to make this statement is that other countries should see the detail of threats that our systems and democracies face.” Deputy Prime Minister, Oliver Dowden said: “The UK will not tolerate malicious cyber activity targeting our democratic institutions. It is an absolute priority for the UK Government to protect our democratic system and values. The Defending Democracy Taskforce continues to coordinate work to build resilience against these threats. “I hope this statement helps to build wider awareness of how politicians and those involved in our democratic processes around the world are being targeted by state-sponsored cyber operations. “We will continue to call out this activity, holding the Chinese government accountable for its actions.” Home Secretary, James Cleverly said: "It is reprehensible that China sought to target our democratic institutions. "China's attempts at espionage did not give them the results they wanted and our new National Security Act has made the UK an even harder target. Our upcoming elections, at local and national level, are robust and secure. "Democracy and the rule of law is paramount to the United Kingdom. Targeting our elected representatives and electoral processes will never go unchallenged." This statement today sees the international community once again call on the Chinese government to demonstrate its credibility as a responsible cyber actor. The UK will continue to call out and take tough action against malicious cyber activity that infringes on our national security and democracy. Partners across the Indo-Pacific and Europe are expected to express solidarity with the UK’s efforts to call out malicious cyber activities targeting democratic institutions and electoral processes. In addition to work through the Defending Democracy Taskforce and National Security Act, the NCSC has also published guidance on its website to help high-risk individuals, including parliamentarians, to bolster their resilience to cyber threats, as well as advice to help organisations improve their security. The Elections Act 2022 also clarified the offence of undue influence, which better protects voters from improper influences to vote in a particular way or to not vote at all, including activities which deceive an elector about the administration of an election or referendum. These electoral offences fall within scope of the Online Safety Act’s illegal safety duties, requiring platforms to swiftly take down such content when they are alerted to it. UK electoral law also sets out a stringent regime of spending and donations controls that safeguard the integrity of our elections by ensuring only those with a legitimate interest in UK elections can make political donations and that political donations are transparent. The Elections Act (2022) removed the scope for any campaign spending by impermissible foreign third-party campaigners above a £700 ‘de minimis’ threshold. BACKGROUND Electoral Commission: The Electoral Commission oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK. It is independent of UK Government and reports to the UK, Welsh and Scottish Parliaments. Between late-2021 and October 2022 the Electoral Commission’s systems were compromised by a China state-affiliated cyber actor. Targeting of UK parliamentarians by APT31: NCSC assesses it is highly likely that the China state-affiliated cyber actor APT31 conducted reconnaissance activity against UK parliamentarians during a separate campaign in 2021. Parliamentary Security Department were able to identify the activity before any systems were compromised. APT31 was one of a number of China state-affiliated actors the UK publicly linked [link to 2021 statement] to the Chinese Ministry of State Security in 2021 following the hack of the Microsoft Exchange Server. Similar statements were issued by allies in condemning these actions. Sanctions: An asset freeze prevents any UK citizen, or any business in the UK, from dealing with any funds or economic resources which are owned, held or controlled by the designated person. It also prevents funds or economic resources being provided to or for the benefit of the designated person. UK financial sanctions apply to all persons within the territory and territorial sea of the UK and to all UK persons, wherever they are in the world. A travel ban means that the designated person must be refused leave to enter or to remain in the United Kingdom, providing the individual is an excluded person under section 8B of the Immigration Act 1971. Note to Editors:
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