China Allegedly Hacked Phones of Senior UK Officials for Years

Chinese state-sponsored hackers are reported to have compromised the mobile phones of senior officials in Downing Street for an extended period, leading to the exposure of confidential communications to Beijing.

As reported by The Telegraph, these cyberattacks focused on the phones of close aides to former Prime Ministers Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, and Boris Johnson from 2021 through 2024.

Sources suggest that this breach may have penetrated deep into Downing Street, raising concerns that the Prime Minister's own mobile devices could have been affected.

US intelligence reports, as shared with The Telegraph, indicate that this surveillance operation, referred to as Salt Typhoon, is still actively ongoing.

It is believed that the hackers might have had the ability to read text messages or eavesdrop on phone calls involving top government officials. They could also track metadata, which included contact details and geolocation of the officials.

This news coincides with the upcoming visit of Sir Keir Starmer to China, marking the first time in eight years that a prime minister has visited the country.

Starmer's trip follows the recent approval of China's large diplomatic building on the banks of the River Thames, a move that has raised security concerns among critics.

Alicia Kearns, a shadow minister for national security, criticized the government's response, questioning: "How much more evidence does this Government need before it stops appeasing Xi and instead stands tall, defending the nation?"

She accused the Labour party of condoning hostile actions against the UK.

The data breaches trace back to at least 2021, though intelligence agencies only identified them in 2024. Salt Typhoon emerged into the public eye after US authorities discovered that hacking groups associated with Beijing had infiltrated telecommunication networks worldwide.

Former deputy US national security adviser, Ms. Neuberger, noted that these hackers had the capability to "record phone calls at will."

China's foreign ministry has described these allegations as "baseless" and lacking in evidence.

Further, intelligence sources informed The Telegraph that British telecommunication networks have superior security measures compared to those of the US, crediting the UK's proactive approach to cybersecurity.

This proactive stance can be traced back to the Telecommunications Security Act of 2021, which established new legal responsibilities for telecommunications companies to bolster network security in the UK.

Last year, the FBI publicly warned that Chinese state-sponsored cyber actors were targeting global data networks.

The agency stated that the stolen information could equip Chinese intelligence with capabilities to monitor and follow targeted communications and activities globally.

Additionally, the warning emphasized that foreign cyber actors often maintain persistent access to the networks of their targets.