Labour has reported the alleged hacking of Nigel Farage’s phone to the Metropolitan Police and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) after Reform UK failed to do so, citing potential national security implications and concerns over the integrity of British politics.
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre and agencies in nine other countries have warned British businesses to step up vigilance against China-linked hacking ploys that exploit everyday devices like wifi routers for espionage. The advisory warns of a major shift in Chinese tactics using so-called covert networks or botnets to obscure attack origins, with the NCSC believing the majority of China-nexus threat actors are using these networks. In one example, a Chinese business created a covert network infecting 200,000 devices worldwide.
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre and agencies in nine other countries have warned of persistent attempts by Beijing-backed hacking groups to exploit vulnerable everyday devices such as wifi routers, printers and web cameras to launch cyber-attacks. The advisory warns of a major shift in Chinese tactics to using internet-connected devices to obscure attack origins, with the NCSC believing the majority of China-nexus threat actors are now using these covert networks or botnets.
The UK could face hacktivist attacks at scale if embroiled in conflict, with impact similar to recent ransomware incidents, NCSC chief Richard Horne will warn at CyberUK conference. Nation states now account for the most significant cyber incidents, with ransomware attacks hitting Marks & Spencer, Jaguar Land Rover and Royal Mail. Horne echoed MI6 chief’s warning that the UK is in ‘a space between peace and war’ as geopolitical tensions rise with Russia.
