The UK Government has expressed confidence that no visa applicants’ details were compromised following a cyber attack on Foreign Office data earlier this year. Reports surfaced alleging that a Chinese-linked cyber group was behind the hack, which occurred two months ago and supposedly targeted sensitive visa-related information.
Visa Data Unlikely to Have Been Affected
Business Minister Sir Chris Bryant confirmed that an investigation into the breach is ongoing, but he dismissed speculation suggesting that thousands of visa applications had been impacted. According to Sir Chris, the Government has taken significant steps to assess the damage and is “pretty confident” that no individual’s personal details have been compromised.
While Bryant stopped short of confirming whether the Chinese group Storm 1849, reportedly responsible for the hack, was linked to the Chinese state, he emphasized that the investigation, which has been underway since October, is still in its early stages. “We are very confident that nobody, no individual, will have been harmed or compromised by what has happened,” he stated in a radio interview.
The cyber attack reportedly accessed confidential documents, though Bryant cautioned that some of the details circulating in the media might be exaggerated. Despite the breach, he reassured the public that the security of the visa data remained intact. “You just referred to potentially affecting thousands of visas. I think that is speculating,” he added.
Following the hack, the UK Government has been working closely with cyber experts and relevant authorities to secure their systems and ensure no further data vulnerabilities. The Foreign Office is reportedly looking into the full scope of the breach, with further updates expected as the investigation progresses.
A Government spokesperson reiterated the seriousness of the situation, saying, “We take the security of our systems and data extremely seriously.” They also underscored that the cyber attack is being investigated thoroughly, but confirmed that no conclusive evidence has been found to suggest widespread data theft.
