China is likely using data from hacks of British government agencies to build profiles of British military personnel and people in other sensitive roles as Beijing expands espionage against the US and its allies, government officials and cyber experts say.
State-backed hackers obtained the names, bank account details and in some cases addresses of thousands of British soldiers, sailors and air force pilots in a cyber attack on the UK Ministry of Defense payroll system, Secretary of State for Defense Grant Shapps told the House of Representatives. of the House of Commons on Monday.
He declined to attribute blame but said Britain cannot rule out the involvement of another state.