UK Shuts Army Payment System Over Suspected Hacking by ‘Malign Actor’

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said foreign state involvement can not be ruled out, but did not confirm reports that Beijing could be behind the attack.

Chinese and British flags fly on Pall Mall in London on Nov. 7, 2005 in London, England. Daniel Berehulak /Getty Images

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has shut down a third-party payment system that may have been hacked by a “malign actor,” ministers confirmed on Tuesday.

Briefing Parliament on Tuesday afternoon, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said foreign state involvement could not be ruled out but didn’t attribute the suspected attack to a specific actor.