The newly appointed chairman of the bipartisan Security Technology Alliance in the UK recently warned that there is a risk of remote control in Chinese electronic components in everyday household internet-connected devices, from refrigerators to cars. He urged the British government to take the threat of cyber attacks by the Chinese Communist Party more seriously.
According to the UK’s Financial Times, Labour Party MP Graeme Downie urged the British government to enhance the manufacturing capability of cellular communication modules used in the Internet of Things and to rid itself of the Chinese supply chain to fend off the cyber attack threat from China.
Downie cautioned that internet-connected devices including smart electronic meters, mobile point-of-sale machines, electric vehicles, and civilian unmanned aerial vehicles could all become vulnerable targets in China’s cyber attacks on “critical infrastructure.”
“We are not currently taking this threat seriously enough. We need to ensure we are more proactive in addressing this issue in the future,” Downie told the Financial Times.
He added, “These devices collect data, transmit information,” and while these devices may not be hacked, in theory, they could be remotely controlled or at least used for destructive activities.
Downie was appointed chairman of the Security Technology Alliance in November last year and has been involved in discussions on this issue during his time in the House of Commons.
Downie revealed that he raised the issue with Foreign Secretary David Lammy earlier this month, and Lammy has promised to conduct further research on the matter.
As part of the “Cross-Whitehall China Review” overseen by the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, the security threat posed by Chinese smart electronic components is currently under review.
The Security Technology Alliance, founded in 2023 by former senior British diplomat Charles Parton and former Leader of the House of Lords Baroness Natalie Evans, aims to raise awareness of the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party using wireless communication components in smart devices for espionage or sabotage and enhance response capabilities.
The organization noted that in the growing global market for cellular communication modules, three Chinese companies account for over 50% of the supply.
In the interest of national security, the British government had previously ordered the complete removal of all technology equipment components manufactured by Chinese tech company Huawei from 5G networks by the end of 2027.