MI5 Chief Reveals 20,000 Britons Were Approached by Chinese State Actors
Threats of China-State Linked Espionage Escalate in the United Kingdom
Overt Operator
October 18, 2023
The United Kindgom's MI5 national security bureu's chief Ken McCallum, has disclosed that an estimated 20,000 Britons have been approached by Chinese state actors on LinkedIn with the intention of pilfering industrial and technological secrets.
McCallum described the scale of industrial espionage as alarming, estimating that around 10,000 UK businesses, particularly those in the fields of artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and synthetic biology, are at risk of being targeted by China.
Speaking ahead of a summit of domestic spy chiefs from the Five Eyes agencies, hosted by the FBI in California, McCallum emphasized that covert activities by China, Russia, and Iran were being detected on a weekly basis. He noted that these activities were not solely aimed at government or military secrets, but increasingly focused on promising startups, innovative companies emerging from universities, and academic research.
One of the key tactics employed by Chinese actors is posing as recruitment consultants on LinkedIn to gain access to sensitive information. McCallum stated that there have been over 20,000 reported cases of such approaches on LinkedIn, a significant increase compared to 10,000 cases reported two and a half years ago.
The issue of Chinese industrial espionage has become a major cause for concern over the past decade, particularly in the United States. The US intelligence and military establishment view China as a primary threat to their country's future economic dominance. FBI Director Christopher Wray has labeled the Chinese Communist Party as "the number one threat to innovation" and accused Beijing of making economic espionage and theft of others' work and ideas a centralcomponent of its national strategy.
Wray revealed that the FBI is currently conducting over 2,000 investigations related to Chinese espionage activities. The fear of losing technological and economic superiority has prompted Western nations to take significant measures to counter these threats.
The summit of intelligence agencies from the Five Eyes alliance, consisting of the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, aims to address the growing concerns and develop strategies to protect their nations' interests.
The revelations by McCallum and Wray highlight the urgent need for heightened security measures, particularly in the digital realm. Businesses operating in industries targeted by China should remain vigilant and take necessary precautions to safeguard their intellectual property and sensitive information.
Governments and intelligence agencies must collaborate closely to combat the rising tide of industrial espionage and protect their countries' economic interests.
As the threat landscape continues to evolve, it is imperative to stay one step ahead of adversaries. Strengthening cybersecurity defenses, raising awareness about potential risks, and implementing robust measures to identify and mitigate espionage attempts are crucial in safeguarding national security and preserving economic competitiveness.