MI5 has warned UK banks that state-sponsored Chinese computer hackers could attempt to penetrate their systems, the Times reports.
The UK’s domestic security agency has advised British banks that “electronic espionage attacks” could emanate from China. Banks and law firms were amongst the 300 businesses that Jonathan Evans, director-general of MI5, wrote to with the warning, after Rolls-Royce and Royal Dutch Shell were targetted by hackers.
“Spying has been going on between countries for thousands of years, and it would be foolish to think that countries would not take advantage of computers and the internet to assist them in this. It is, however, unusual for a country to so openly accuse another of engaging in this activity – especially when it can be extraordinarily difficult to prove an attack is being sponsored by a government or is a lone hacker acting independently,” says Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant, Sophos, speaking to the Register.
In September this year, the Pentagon accused the Chinese of hacking into the US defence secretary Robert Gates’ computer. Although the UK’s National Infrastructure Security Co-ordination Centre warned of attacks on computers as far back as 2005, banks have now been put on high alert due to MI5’s warning.