Five Eyes Alliance Sounds Alarm on Trade Secret Theft through Chinese Espionage.
In a stark revelation, MI5 Chief Ken McCallum has issued a warning that over 20,000 individuals and businesses in the UK are at risk of Chinese espionage, with a particular emphasis on the theft of trade secrets related to cutting-edge technologies.
McCallum, speaking at the first public joint meeting of the Five Eyes alliance at Stanford University in California, highlighted the vulnerability of businesses in the West due to inadequate cyber hygiene practices. The Five Eyes alliance, comprising Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the UK, and the US, convened to publicly address the escalating threat of Chinese espionage.
The MI5 chief disclosed that Chinese spies have already approached numerous entities in the UK, employing online platforms such as LinkedIn for large-scale attempts to gain technological trade secrets. McCallum emphasized that even smaller companies at the forefront of technology are now targets, expanding the scope of espionage beyond larger enterprises.
Of particular concern to MI5 is the targeting of sensitive technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). McCallum noted that these technologies are on the brink of transforming the world, making them prime targets for authoritarian states seeking opportunities.
Trade espionage fears have been growing globally, with South Korea recently increasing prison sentences for those involved in spreading trade secrets knowingly. GlobalData consultant Michael Orme highlighted that China has been engaged in spying on the West for over two decades, collecting business and technological information.
As the US-China tech war intensifies, Orme predicts a surge in Chinese cyber attacks and espionage. He stressed that the vulnerability of many targets in the West, both public and private, stems from insufficient standards of cyber hygiene. In response to McCallum's warning, Orme called for nationwide efforts by the UK government to address this critical issue.
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