By Aysu Bicer
LONDON (AA) - UK government data was stolen in a cyberattack, though officials believe the risk to individuals is “fairly low,” a minister said on Friday, as investigators examine whether a Chinese state-affiliated group was behind the breach.
Trade Minister Chris Bryant told BBC Breakfast that “an investigation is ongoing” into the hack and said the security gap was “closed pretty quickly.”
While a group linked to China is suspected, Bryant said investigators “simply don’t know as yet” who was responsible.
The data was held on systems run on behalf of the Home Office by the Foreign Office.
Foreign Office staff detected the incident, which has since been referred to the Information Commissioner’s Office.
“We think that it’s a fairly low-risk that individuals will have been compromised or affected,” Bryant said. He added: “Government facilities are always going to be potentially targeted. We are working through the consequences of what this is.”
The Sun newspaper reported that hackers affiliated with the Chinese state accessed government data in October, with information possibly including visa details being targeted.
Officials have not confirmed the nature or scale of the data involved.
“This is a part of modern life that we have to tackle and deal with,” Bryant said, pointing to recent high-profile cyberattacks on companies and institutions including Jaguar Land Rover, Marks & Spencer and the British Library.
Any confirmation that a Chinese state-linked group was responsible would come at a sensitive time for the UK government.
The Labour government has said engagement with China is necessary, given its importance in trade, climate change and global affairs.
China has consistently denied backing cyberattacks against the UK.