Amid the ongoing pandemic that’s laid bare chinks in the UK’s cyber defences, the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and Ministry of Defence Chiefs spoke about the country’s efforts to combat the online threat from hostile states, namely China.
China has been labelled a “chronic threat” to the UK amid a record number of cyber-attacks targeting the country during the COVID-19 pandemic, reports The Sun.
Speaking at Chatham House, General Patrick Sanders, Commander of the UK Strategic Command said:
He added that while the UK hoped for a constructive relationship with China, “some of their actions make us wary.”
Jeremy Fleming, director of Government Communications Headquarters, (GCHQ) reportedly echoed the concerns, saying that hospitals and vaccine suppliers have been targeted during the pandemic.
The GCHQ chief was speaking alongside Sanders to address issues facing the National Cyber Force’s increasing need to combat online attacks by hostile states and criminals amid the health crisis.
‘Security Interests in Play’
The head of GCHQ Jeremy Fleming warned that the internet risked “splintering” due to “unscrupulous regimes” seeking confrontation in cyberspace through the “theft of intellectual property, denial of information, and dissemination of misinformation.”
Ostensible differences regarding information access and privacy issues between the West and China were singled out as serious online risks.
Fleming highlighted that there was “a lot to play for” in delineating the rules for the next generation of technology and added that the UK sought to shape a secure and profitable relationship with China.
Acknowledging that in certain instances “security interests are in play,” The Sun quotes him as saying:
Western countries have long accused China of aggressive espionage, including cyber attacks targeting government and corporate systems.
The Trump administration’s contentions trade wars against Chinese tech firms, such as blacklisted Huawei and ZTE, fuelled national security concerns.
Cyber security
Washington labelled the Chinese tech giants a security risk over its purported ties to the Chinese Communist Party and military, without further clarification, slapping them with restrictions and urging its allies to follow suit.
The UK has prohibited telecom firms in the country from installing new Huawei equipment in 5G networks, effective from September 2021.
Beijing continues to deny all accusations of spying and cyber-warfare.
Sourse: sputniknews.com
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