In an alarming revelation, Ken McCallum, the head of MI5, has claimed that thousands of Britons have been targeted by Chinese state actors on LinkedIn in an attempt to steal industrial or technological secrets.
He emphasized the alarming scale of industrial espionage, estimating that 10,000 UK businesses were in jeopardy.
“We have seen a sustained campaign on a pretty epic scale,” McCallum told BBC. McCallum highlighted the ongoing covert activities conducted by nations like China, Russia, and Iran. He pointed out that these activities were not limited to government or military secrets but also extended to vital infrastructure.
Here are some key points from his speech:
*He said that China is set on stealing the technology and innovation of UK businesses and universities, and using it to undercut their market and dominate their industry.
*McCallum revealed that MI5 has detected more than 20,000 cases of covert online approaches by Chinese spies to UK individuals and organisations, mainly through professional networking sites like LinkedIn.
*The MI5 chief also said that MI5 has seen more than 20 instances of Chinese companies trying to gain access to sensitive UK technology through hidden investments or other means, and that MI5 has disrupted some of these attempts.
*He added that MI5 has also seen cases of stolen research data, attempts to bypass regulatory controls, and influence over cutting-edge research by Chinese actors
*He urged UK businesses and researchers to be aware of the risks and to take steps to protect their intellectual property and secrets from China’s espionage.
He said that MI5 is working closely with its allies in the Five Eyes intelligence alliance (US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) to counter China’s threats.
FBI Director Chris Wray said that China has incorporated economic espionage and the theft of intellectual property into its core national strategy. He emphasized that this espionage posed a significant threat to innovators in all five countries. According to Wray, this threat has escalated in recent years, becoming more dangerous and insidious.
Wray revealed that the FBI was actively handling over 2,000 investigations related to China. He pointed out that at one stage, the organization was initiating a new investigation every 12 hours due to the increasing nature of these incidents.