Cover-up Allegation Over Chinese Hackers

Ministers were accused yesterday of trying to cover up the extent of Chinese cyber-attacks on Whitehall and urged to adopt a more robust approach to Beijing about the incidents.

The Guardian yesterday reported that Chinese hackers, some believed to be from the People's Liberation Army, have been attacking the computer networks of British government departments. The attackers targeted the network at the Foreign Office and other departments.

The FO declined to discuss the attacks, saying only: "We do not comment on security issues." However, well-placed government officials yesterday confirmed the Guardian report, though they would not say what other Whitehall departments had been attacked by China.

The Guardian understands that a number of other important government offices have been attacked by Beijing hackers. An incident which shut down part of the House of Commons computer system last year was found later to be the work of an organized Chinese hacking group.

Andrew MacKinlay, a Labour member of the Commons foreign affairs committee, said yesterday it seemed clear that the cyber-attacks had the acquiescence, at least, of the Chinese authorities.

He said the public and parliament had a right to be told whether the UK was becoming the target of a phenomenon known as "patriotic hacking", in which computer experts attack the vital networks of perceived enemies.

The MP said attempts to extract information about the scale of the problem had been stonewalled by ministers, including the former foreign secretary Jack Straw, now justice secretary.

"I am frustrated," Mr MacKinlay said. "This is clearly an area where the government have decided not to comment. My questions were clearly unwelcome.

"This is happening against a backdrop where, on a whole range of foreign policy issues, the British government is very weak. They seek to appease the Chinese. They should be more robust and indignant."

The most plausible theories on why the Chinese authorities might choose to foster patriotic hacking were either to test its potential as a weapon or simply to send a signal to other great powers that they have the capability to do so, he said.

In response to a parliamentary question tabled by Mr MacKinlay last year, the then home secretary, Charles Clarke, revealed that the National Infrastructure Coordination Centre had issued a warning in 2005 of "concerted Trojan email attacks from the far east against UK government and business interests". He said the scale of the attacks as "almost industrial".

Mr MacKinlay last year told Mr Straw: "I cannot help feeling that the Chinese government authorities are either the inspirers of this or with full knowledge and with full consent allowed this to happen from China and that for wider foreign policy reasons your department ... do not want this raised."

Mr Straw replied: "You will have to excuse me, but I am not intending to add to anything I have already said on this issue, which I know is not a great deal."

In a later Commons debate, a member of the parliamentary intelligence and security committee confirmed that it had been briefed on the issue, but declined to comment on it in relation to China.

Asked if ministers were concerned about individuals or countries hacking into computer systems, the prime minister's spokesman said: "The government has in place procedures and mechanisms to deal with these sorts of issues."

David Davis, the shadow home secretary, said in a statement: "This is extremely serious and would be even more so if the Chinese military was involved. It could affect the security and privacy of every British citizen."