GCHQ now “dedicates more resources to China than any other mission,” according to the intelligence agency’s director, Anne Keast-Butler.
China represents an “epoch-defining challenge” for the UK, she said at CyberUK, the National Cyber security Center Conference in Birmingham.
Last week, Sky News discovered China hacked the Defense Ministry’s payroll system and in March, Chinese hackers were accused of stealing data about UK voters from the Electoral Commission.
Following news of last week’s attack, China’s Foreign Ministry said it “firmly opposes and combats all forms of cyber attacks” and “rejects the political use of this issue to defame other countries.”
However, UK cybersecurity leaders are clear.
“China is increasingly working with other countries to try to reshape the world,” said Keast-Butler.
“Through its coercive and destabilizing actions, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) poses a significant risk to international norms and values,” she said.
Responding to China is its “top priority,” Keast-Butler added.
She said: “In cyberspace, we believe that the PRC’s irresponsible actions weaken the security of the Internet for everyone.
“China has built an advanced set of cyber capabilities and is taking advantage of a growing commercial ecosystem of hacker groups and data brokers at its disposal.
“China poses a genuine and growing cyber risk to the UK.”
The threat from China has changed over the past decade, according to Japan’s deputy national security adviser, Keiichi Ichikawa, who also spoke at the event.
“Traditionally, China conducted cyber attacks to steal technology, but now it is cyber attacks against critical infrastructure,” he said.
In March, Chinese state-sponsored hacker group Volt Typhoon was caught hacking into US infrastructure projects. White House national cyber director Harry Coker said the attack marked a change in tactics.
Coker said: “This was the first time we have seen an entity position itself in our critical infrastructure with the clear intention of disrupting our ability to mobilize against [them].
“[China’s] Hackers are working to bypass our defenses and target our interests on an unprecedented scale.
“They are doing this for a reason: to keep critical infrastructure at risk in times of global competition.
“In a crisis or conflict scenario, China will wreak havoc on critical civilian infrastructure to impede U.S. mobility.”
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Cyber threats across the UK are increasing dramatically.
The average UK organization suffered 788 weekly attacks in 2023, according to data from cybersecurity firm Check Point.
By early May, that number had jumped to 1,078 weekly attacks for an average organization. This represents a 36% jump in just one year.
As elections approach around the world, cybersecurity experts are bolstering their defenses to try to protect nations against hackers.
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