New sanctions unveiled as UK accuses China of ‘malicious’ hacking campaigns

Chinese state-affiliated hackers were responsible for two “malicious cyber campaigns” targeting the Electoral Commission and MPs, the deputy prime minister has said.

Oliver Dowden told the House of Commons two individuals and a company linked to the Chinese state had been sanctioned over attacks on the Electoral Commission between 2021 and 2022.

Speaking to MPs today, Dowden said: “I will make a statement about malicious cyber activity targeting the United Kingdom by actors that we assess are affiliated to the Chinese state.

“I want to update the House on our assessment of this activity, and I want to reassure the House on the steps that the government has taken to shore up our resilience and to hold those actors to account.”

He added: “Taken together, the United Kingdom judges that these actions demonstrate a clear and persistent pattern of behaviour that signal signals hostile intent from China”.

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