British trade minister Chris Bryant verified Friday that the UK government suffered a cyber intrusion in October, lending partial credence to a Sun report alleging China-linked hackers accessed Foreign Office data.
“There was definitely a hack,” Bryant told Times Radio, while declining to link it directly to Chinese agents or the state.
The Sun blamed group Storm 1849—a network accused of hitting China critics—and claimed it exposed personal info of tens of thousands of visa applicants. Bryant dismissed much coverage as “speculation,” noting an ongoing probe and low individual risk.
“We sealed the breach quickly—it was a technical glitch on one platform,” he added to Sky News.
Storm 1849 ties to China-aligned hackers targeting politicians and organizations, per the report.
The breach follows PM Keir Starmer’s December warning of China as a “national security threat,” despite plans to deepen ties. He’s slated for a late-January Beijing trip.
This Foreign Office incident trails major 2025 attacks on Jaguar Land Rover (five-week production halt) and Marks & Spencer (six-week online order freeze).
The Foreign Office said it’s probing thoroughly: “We prioritize system and data security highly,” a spokesperson affirmed.
