British Army's Data Breached, Chinese Hackers Blamed

The British Army has suffered a critical breach of its systems, resulting in the unauthorized disclosure of personal information belonging to military personnel, with Chinese hackers suspected to be behind the cyber-attack.

Reports from British media reveal that a Ministry of Defense system was compromised, leading to the exposure of names and banking details of both current and former armed forces members.

The breach targeted the payroll system, prompting immediate action from the Ministry of Defense, which promptly disabled the affected system and initiated investigations. The extent and potential impact of the data breach remain uncertain.

Although the British government has not officially attributed responsibility for the attack, British Sky News has reported that actors affiliated with the Chinese state are believed to be responsible. This allegation echoes previous statements by Deputy Prime Minister Oliver Dowden, who has cited Chinese state-linked actors in recent cyber-attacks targeting UK institutions.

The breach has triggered concerns among UK parliamentarians, who are scheduled to receive detailed briefings on the incident, underscoring the gravity of the breach affecting service personnel within the Ministry of Defense. As investigations progress, authorities remain vigilant in the face of escalating cyber threats linked to state-backed entities.

China's foreign ministry said it "firmly opposes and fights all forms of cyber-attacks" and "rejects the use of this issue politically to smear other countries".