UK government departments and major retailers are being targeted by the highly sophisticated cybercrime gang known as Silver Dragon, the Mirror can exclusively reveal. Experts believe the group, which has already successfully hijacked companies across Europe and Asia, is likely financed by the Chinese government and poses what they describe as an 'advanced and persistent threat.'
Inevitable Attack Warning
Graeme Stewart, a cybersecurity expert from Checkpoint Research who is closely monitoring Silver Dragon's activities, warned last night that an attack on UK soil is 'inevitable.' The group sends extremely convincing and personalised emails to their targets, claiming to contain urgent information. Once a recipient clicks on the message, hackers can capture screenshots of their screen and deploy ransomware, which completely locks down the computer, rendering it unusable. The attackers then demand substantial sums of money to remove the blocks and regain control.
Attempted Infiltration
Silver Dragon has attempted to infiltrate UK government departments and high-street retailers, though there is no evidence that these attempts have been successful. The government and many companies utilise software that automatically blocks suspicious emails before they reach employees' inboxes. However, Stewart urged continued vigilance: 'It's an arms race – these groups are getting more clever, so we need to get more clever. Make sure your defences are up to date. Cyber security needs to be treated like health and safety – we all know where fire exits are, so we all need to be trained in how to spot these things. Because it only takes one mistake and you’re in serious, serious trouble.'
Rising Cyber Threats in the UK
This revelation comes just hours after the government's cyber security breach survey revealed that over 43 per cent of UK businesses experienced a cyber breach or attack in the past year. The survey found that many companies are not adequately equipped to fend off breaches, with phishing emails—like those used by Silver Dragon—being the most common method of attack.
Cyber attacks have caused significant disruption in the UK in recent years. Last week, it emerged that half a million participants in the UK Biobank project had their personal health data listed for sale on the Chinese-owned site Alibaba. In the previous year, hackers allegedly stole tens of thousands of confidential files, including visa-related personal data, from the UK Foreign Office. The Electoral Commission, which holds data for millions of UK voters, and the Ministry of Defence's payroll department also reportedly fell victim to cyber incidents. Retailers including M&S, the Co-Op, Harrods, and Dior have also been targeted, with customer personal data—such as emails and addresses—stolen in some cases. M&S reportedly lost more than £300 million as a result of a cyber attack.
Government Response
The government was approached for comment but had not responded at the time of publication.
