Cutting economic ties with China is not realistic.
China's emergence as a dominant force in cyberspace poses a growing national security threat.
Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden warned at the CYBERUK conference that Beijing is "well on its way to becoming a cyber superpower," The Record reports.
McFadden emphasised the urgency of addressing the threat while recognising that cutting economic ties with China is not realistic, due to its deep integration in global supply chains.
Richard Horne, CEO of the NCSC reinforced these concerns, highlighting the vast data and legal ecosystem available to Chinese cyber operations.
Western countries including the U.S., Canada, France, and Denmark have reported extensive cyberespionage campaigns targeting telecommunications and other sectors, though most have avoided directly attributing them to the Chinese state.
While the U.S. pursues aggressive countermeasures, McFadden urged a pragmatic strategy of economic engagement alongside stronger cyber defences. He called cyber-attacks a lasting reality and praised international cybersecurity cooperation.
Written by
Dan Raywood is a B2B journalist with 25 years of experience, including covering cybersecurity for the past 17 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 Forum, BSides Scotland, Steelcon and the National Cyber Security Show, and served as editor of SC Media UK, Infosecurity Magazine and IT Security Guru. He was also an analyst with 451 Research and a product marketing lead at Tenable.
