Russian-Aligned Hackers Targeting UK With Aim To 'Disrupt Or Destroy' Critical Infrastructure, Cabinet Minister Confirms
April 20 2023, Published 8:05 a.m. ET
Russian-aligned hackers are reportedly targeting the United Kingdom in an effort to “disrupt and destroy” the nation’s critical infrastructure, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The shocking revelation was shared on Wednesday by Cabinet Minister Oliver Dowden during a speech in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
According to Dowden, hackers and activists aligned with Russia are currently targeting the IT systems across major British utilities and transport systems.
“Every day, a combination of criminals, spooks, hacktivists and cyber soldiers silently and invisibly breach our digital defenses – both in the UK and in the rest of the world,” Dowden said this week.
Dowden, who serves as a national security and investment minister, also released new figures that found nearly 1/3 of UK businesses and charities were victims of a cyber-attack or breach in the past year.
“It is a national security threat, and our response needs to reflect the severity of that threat,” he explained. “These are attacks on our citizens, our businesses and our democracy. They are an attempt to undermine our society.”
Dowden also explained that while past hackers were mainly focused on making money from their cyber-attack targets, the latest Russian-aligned hackers are only how to “disrupt or destroy” the nation’s infrastructure.
“Instead of seeking to profit or spy on us, their primary motive is to disrupt or destroy our infrastructure,” he said.
“These adversaries are ideologically motivated, rather than financially motivated,” Dowden added, comparing Vladimir Putin’s new breed of computer hackers to the Wagner PMC mercenaries fighting alongside Russia in Ukraine.
Meanwhile, Lindy Cameron – who serves as head of the National Cyber Security Center – revealed the West currently faces an “epoch-defining” challenge from not only Russia but also China.
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During the conference in Belfast on Wednesday, Cameron warned that the UK and its many Western allies cannot afford to be complacent in the “dramatic rise of China as a technology superpower.”
As RadarOnline.com reported, Cameron’s remarks regarding China this week came just weeks after it was revealed that the Chinese government allegedly launched a series of spy balloons into airspace controlled by the U.S. and Canada.
