MPs will be told of a massive data breach involving the Ministry of Defence later today, targeting service personnel.

The Chinese state has hacked the Ministry of Defence, Sky News understands.

MPs will be told today of a massive data breach involving the MoD, targeting service personnel.

The government will not name the country involved, but Sky News understands this to be China.

The Chinese state is to be accused of two or three attempts at hacking MoD employees - including personnel.

The cyberattack was on a payroll system with current service personnel and some veterans. It is largely names and bank details that have been exposed.

  • The Snark Urge@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    Remember when closer economic ties with China was going to make them into a liberal democracy? That was awesome.

    • Syntha@sh.itjust.works
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      8 months ago

      Chinese company still owns a stake in Hinkley Point C they just refuse to provide more funding because it has turned into giant shitshow. I don’t think they’ll be too upset of at least unloading those bags onto the Brits.

  • AutoTL;DR@lemmings.worldB
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    8 months ago

    This is the best summary I could come up with:


    MPs will be told today of a massive data breach involving the MoD, targeting service personnel.

    Tobias Ellwood, a Conservative MP and former soldier, told Sky News that China “was probably looking at the financially vulnerable with a view that they may be coerced in exchange for cash”.

    Defence Secretary Grant Shapps is expected to make a statement to the Commons today, with the BBC reporting he will set out a “multi-point plan” which will include action to protect affected service men and women.

    This comes fewer than two months after China’s “state-affiliated actors” have been blamed by the government for two “malicious” cyberattack campaigns in the UK.

    “No more pretence, it is a malign actor, supporting Russia with money and military equipment, working with Iran and North Korea in a new axis of totalitarian states.”

    "Targeting the MoD’s payroll and bank details was probably looking at the financially vulnerable with a view that they may be coerced in exchange for cash.


    The original article contains 620 words, the summary contains 162 words. Saved 74%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!

  • tal
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    8 months ago

    The cyberattack was on a payroll system with current service personnel and some veterans. It is largely names and bank details that have been exposed.

    I mean, that’s not ideal, but as information goes, that seems kind of limited. Bank data is maybe useful for someone trying to steal money, but I don’t see as how Chinese intelligence would benefit that much.

    Maybe they could confirm that someone was working for the British military or something, like if they were working secretly for military intelligence? I don’t know if that’s something that the UK does.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.worldM
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      8 months ago

      I could see it as being a way to find people that could be bribed.

      If your bank balance is in the negative and you work for the MoD, that’s a great way for China to get you to spy for them.

      • tal
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        8 months ago

        If your bank balance is in the negative and you work for the MoD

        Knowing their financial situation could buy them useful information, true.

        So, I’m going off the US here, but I don’t think that just knowing a bank account number is sufficient to let you see what’s in it. And I don’t believe that a normal bank account will let you run a negative balance, absent something like bank fees. Like, it’s not a credit card. You can get a credit card from a bank, but then knowing a bank account number won’t let you know the balance on the credit card.

        considers

        Security on checking accounts is pretty horrendous. I guess if an employer is moving money into a direct-deposit bank account, if that account is a checking account, you could forge a check for a given amount and see whether it goes through, and then do a transfer back the other direction, and if it bounces, transfer an amount sufficient to cover the “bad check” fee. However, if you’re forging checks en masse I think that banks – not to mention account holders – are liable to notice.

        Like, what they’re getting is what someone’s employer has. The employer doesn’t normally get to know someone’s financial situation.

    • YeetPics@mander.xyz
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      8 months ago

      I’d say take China’s word for it, but China just announced that they own sky news as well as all international waters.

  • Linkerbaan@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    Only time anyone cares about the vets is when China hacks their salary system lmao.