The UK’s Ministry of Defence was hacked, and the nation is reportedly blaming China

China is accused of hacking the payroll system for the UK’s Ministry of Defence. The BBC and Sky Information report that the extreme information breach uncovered the non-public info of energetic navy personnel and veterans. The knowledge primarily consists of full names and financial institution particulars, however in some instances, it may also embrace private addresses.

Affected people are being notified, and Defence Secretary Grant Shapps ought to present MPs with a extra detailed replace as we speak. He’s anticipated to stipulate a plan of motion for shielding anybody whose information was compromised. All salaries are anticipated to be paid as traditional this month.

In an announcement, China’s overseas minister mentioned the nation “firmly opposes and fights all types of cyber assaults” and “rejects the usage of this challenge politically to smear different nations.” Nevertheless, this is not the primary time the UK and China have clashed over safety issues. In March, UK Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden accused China of being behind an August 2021 hack of the Electoral Fee, as the BBC reported on the time. The UK additionally banned TikTok — owned by Chinese language tech firm ByteDance — from all authorities units in March 2023, claiming protecting measures.