Russia-aligned hackers are attempting to damage or destroy the U.K.’s critical national infrastructure, a top British government official is expected to warn on Wednesday.
The hackers, who are working for organizations similar in structure to the Wagner group, a private Russian militia, have turned their attention to the U.K. in recent months and pose a threat to businesses, according to Oliver Dowden, the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, one of the highest ranking ministers in the government’s Cabinet Office.
“These adversaries are ideologically motivated, rather than financially motivated,” according to prepared remarks that Dowden is scheduled to deliver at a cybersecurity conference in Belfast, which were shared with reporters. “Disclosing this threat is not something we do lightly. But we believe it is necessary.”
Dowden is expected to announce cybersecurity resilience goals that companies in critical national infrastructure sectors – such as defense, health, energy and finance – are expected to meet by 2025. In addition, he’s scheduled to say that he is working on a plan to bring businesses working in critical national infrastructure within the scope of new cybersecurity regulations.
“These are the companies in charge of keeping our country running. Of keeping the lights on,” according to Dowden’s prepared remarks. “Our shared prosperity depends on them taking their own security seriously.”
Similarly, the U.K.’s National Cyber Security Center issued an alert to businesses warning of a “new class of Russian cyber adversary.” “While the cyber activity of these groups often focuses on DDoS attacks, website defacements and/or the spread of misinformation, some have stated a desire to achieve a more disruptive and destructive impact against Western critical national infrastructure, including in the U.K.,” according to the alert.
Dowden’s plan is similar to the Biden administration’s recently released national cyber strategy, which called for minimum cybersecurity standards on businesses in critical sectors.
Russian-linked criminal hacking gangs have targeted several high-profile U.K. businesses in the last year.
Postal company Royal Mail’s operations were disrupted for several weeks after an attack in January. Capita Plc, a major government contractor, was hacked in late March. Last year, health-care software provider Advanced was targeted, which disrupted doctors’ ability to view medical notes and book appointments. Staffordshire Water Company, which provides supplies water to 1.5 million people in the U.K., also suffered a major breach.
