20,000 Britons approached by Chinese agents on LinkedIn, says MI5 head.
(As noted here)
The head of MI5, Britain’s domestic counter-intelligence and security agency, disclosed that approximately 20,000 Britons have been approached by Chinese agents on the professional networking site LinkedIn. This alarming revelation has raised concerns about the extent of foreign infiltration into the private lives of British citizens and the potential national security implications.
MI5 Director General Ken McCallum has revealed that 20,000 Britons were targeted by Chinese state actors on LinkedIn, aiming to steal industrial and technological secrets. McCallum stated that industrial espionage is happening at a significant scale, with approximately 10,000 UK businesses, particularly in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and synthetic biology, under threat. He highlighted the ongoing detection of covert activities by China, Russia, and Iran. In response, international intelligence agencies, including the FBI and Five Eyes partners, are strategizing to counter these cyber threats. This disclosure underscores the critical need for heightened vigilance and cybersecurity measures in the face of evolving digital threats.
LinkedIn, a platform designed for professional networking, has become an unexpected battleground for intelligence agencies. Chinese operatives, posing as professionals or recruiters, have been reaching out to Britons from diverse sectors including technology, finance, defense, and academia. This widespread and systematic effort to gather intelligence has prompted MI5 to issue a stern warning to citizens, urging them to exercise caution while interacting online, even on seemingly secure platforms.
“Activity not aimed just at government or military secrets. Not even just aimed at our critical infrastructure but increasingly promising startups – innovative companies spun out of our universities, academic research itself, and people that understandably may not think national security is about them.” (noted here) A key attack vector, McCallum said, was to try and steal information by Chinese actors posing as recruitment consultants on LinkedIn. “We think we’re above 20,000 cases where that initial approach has been made online through sites of that sort,” he said, compared to 10,000 two and a half years ago.
The alleged Chinese agents have been employing sophisticated tactics, such as creating fake profiles and employing social engineering techniques, to establish connections with unsuspecting LinkedIn users. Once a connection is established, these agents attempt to extract sensitive information, including corporate data, research findings, and government-related insights. MI5 officials have stressed the importance of being vigilant and verifying the authenticity of profiles before sharing any confidential information.
The FBI director said-“ “well north of about 2,000 investigations” relating to Chinese activity, and that his agency was opening a new case file “roughly every 12 hours”.
MI5 Director General Ken McCallum disclosed that while he did not provide a specific figure, the agency’s China caseload has surged seven-fold in the past four years. On Tuesday, MI5 reported 20 instances of Chinese companies exploring “obfuscated investment” and imaginative company structures to bypass regulations and gain access to technology developed by British firms and universities.
McCallum revealed that at least two Chinese companies attempted to exploit legal loopholes to access sensitive UK technology undetected, while another Chinese entity was found to have acquired research data stolen from a leading British university. Despite these alarming developments, no individuals have faced prosecution for spying for Beijing in the UK.
However, McCallum expressed optimism regarding the recently enacted National Security Act, which includes updated definitions of espionage. He anticipated that this legislation would facilitate the prosecution of Chinese agents in British courts, similar to how terrorists are tried.
The heads of the five intelligence agencies, part of the Five Eyes alliance – consisting of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the US – convened to meet technology sector representatives at Stanford University. They aimed to convey their warnings directly, following a public appearance together at a roundtable event earlier in the day, chaired by former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Published by HOLR Magazine.