Grant Shapps hints at government role in cyberattacks on MoD
The Defense Secretary said there is evidence of . potential failings’ of the contractor behind the hacked payroll system, named as SSCL in Parliament.Grant Shapps hints at government’s role in cyberattacks on MoD
Grant Shapps has said that “state involvement” in the large-scale cyber attack on the Ministry of Defense (MoD) cannot be ruled out amid speculation China carried out the hack.
The Defense Secretary said there is evidence of “potential failings” of the contractor operating the payroll system that was hacked, “which may have made it easier for the malign actor” to gain access to the bank details of service personnel and veterans.
Labour’s shadow defence secretary, John Healey, named the contractor as SSCL.
The firm says it provides business processing services to 22 government departments and agencies and is responsible for paying 550,000 public servants.
Confirming the contractor was SSCL, Mr Shapps said he had asked for a review of the company’s work across government.
As many as 272,000 service personnel could have been affected by the data breach, according to Mr. Shapps’ statement to MPs.
He set out an eight-point plan to support and protect those potentially affected.
cabinet minister declined
The Cabinet minister declined to identify the culprit, telling the Commons: “For reasons of national security, we can’t release further details of the suspected cyber activity behind this incident.”
“However, I can confirm to the House that we do have indications that this was the suspected work of a malign actor, and we cannot rule out state involvement.”
He also said, “We’ve launched a full investigation, drawing on Cabinet Office support and specialist external expertise to examine the potential failings of the contractor and to minimise the risk of similar incidents in the future.”
Preliminary inquiries have uncovered no signs of data deletion, yet those in the military who have been impacted have been cautiously informed.
“The payment network is “an external system completely separate from the MoD’s core network,” Mr. Shapps stressed.
The system maintains the personal data of regular reserve personnel. This data includes names, bank details, and some addresses. The system maintains certain addresses and personal information, such as names and banking details, for recently retired veterans.
Before recommending payments, the Defense Secretary revealed that upgrades are being implemented to strengthen the system’s security.
A senior Tory apologised to the affected people of all genders. “This should not have happened, he added.
SSCL states on its website that it plays a central role in delivering the MoD’s vision. This involves transforming core payroll, HR, and pension services for military personnel, reservists, and two million veterans.
Sopra Steria
The firm, a subsidiary of Paris-based tech company Sopra Steria, processes over £363 billion in payments annually. It handles 6.77 million transactions and 1.5 million invoices each year.
The company’s vision is to empower the UK public sector with digital solutions and innovative services. It processes 1.2 million recruitment applications annually.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak previously declined to identify who was responsible for the cyber attack. He confirmed that the UK is taking the necessary steps to protect itself. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak refused to identify who was responsible for the cyber attack. The UK is taking the necessary steps to protect itself, as confirmed by the Prime Minister. This includes addressing potential threats posed by China and other countries.
Conservative former leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith expressed concern. The government, according to him, was unable to identify China as the source of the issue.
The Chinese Embassy’s representative firmly rejected claims that Beijing was responsible for the attack, labeling them “unfounded and damaging rumors.”
They said, “China has neither the interest nor the need to meddle in the internal affairs of the UK.”
We urge the relevant parties in the UK to stop spreading false information. We also urge them to stop fabricating so-called China threat narratives. Furthermore, we ask them to cease their anti-China political farce.
Labour’s Mr. Healey stated, “The MoD’s data security record is deteriorating.” Simultaneously, threats against the UK have risen. He further noted, “There has been a three-fold increase in MoD data breaches over the last five years.”
It is essential to correct the vulnerabilities found in our cybersecurity.
We learned later that the MoD had suffered a data breach. In an unprecedented joint operation, the two countries revealed Beijing’s espionage activities.
Britain blames Beijing
Britain claimed that Beijing was attempting to influence the Electoral Commission in Newcastle, while Britain itself was under suspicion for orchestrating a cyber-surveillance operation against the emails of MPs and peers.
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) also uses SSCL as a payroll network provider.
The Met stated: “Currently, no evidence exists suggesting any compromise of the MPS payroll service.”
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