GCHQ head describes China as an "epoch-defining challenge".
GCHQ is now devoting more resources to China than any other single mission according to its director, Anne Keast-Butler.
Speaking at the NCSC CyberUK conference in Birmingham, the director of signals and cyber intelligence at GCHQ said China poses an "epoch-defining challenge" and is “increasingly working with others to try and reshape the world.”
Following recent incidents, such as the attack on the Ministry of Defence payroll last week, Keast-Butler said responding to China is her "top priority", and said China’s “irresponsible actions weaken the security of the internet for all.”
According to media reports, she said: “China has built an advanced set of cyber capabilities, and is taking advantage of a growing commercial ecosystem of hacking outfits and data brokers at its disposal. China poses a genuine and increasing cyber risk to the UK."
Written by
Dan Raywood
Senior Editor
SC Media UK
Dan Raywood is a B2B journalist with more than 20 years of experience, including covering cybersecurity for the past 16 years. He has extensively covered topics from Advanced Persistent Threats and nation-state hackers to major data breaches and regulatory changes.
He has spoken at events including 44CON, Infosecurity Europe, RANT Conference, BSides Scotland, Steelcon and ESET Security Days.
Outside work, Dan enjoys supporting Tottenham Hotspur, managing mischievous cats, and sampling craft beers.
