The National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) has revealed that the UK’s Signals Intelligence Agency was under cyber espionage at the hands of a state agency 20 years ago.
Cyber experts at the Communications-Electronics Security Group (CESG), an information assurance agency, appear to have been called to investigate after an employee uncovered suspicious activity on a workstation.
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Subsequent analysis revealed that malware designed to steal data and bypass antivirus protection had been installed on the machine via phishing emails. The June 2003 incident was the first time GCHQ combined signals intelligence and cybersecurity to identify threat actors and conclude that cyberespionage was their intent.
The NCSC claimed that this was a landmark incident that launched GCHQ’s cyberthreat response activities.
NCSC, an offshoot of GCHQ, combined the expertise of CESG, the Center for Cyber Assessment, CERT-UK, and the National Center for Infrastructure Protection, later renamed the National Protection and Security Agency, and assumed responsibility for these at its launch in 2016. rice field.
“Twenty years ago, we had just crossed the line in the realm of cyberattacks. This incident marks the first time GCHQ has been involved in responding to an incident affecting the UK government.” NCSC Operations Director Paul Chichester explained.
“It is also the first time that the UK and Europe have begun to understand the potential online risks we face, and our response has changed the way we investigate and defend against such attacks. Our allies have come a long way since this incident and it is heartening to be at the forefront of efforts to develop tools and technologies to defend against cyberthreats and keep our nations safe online.”
