By TCO News Desk
London, United Kingdom – January 28, 2026
A bombshell report has revealed that Chinese state-sponsored hackers allegedly penetrated mobile phones of senior aides in Downing Street over several years, reaching "right into the heart" of British government operations. The sophisticated cyber-espionage campaign targeted close advisers to former Prime Ministers Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Rishi Sunak between 2021 and 2024, exposing potentially sensitive communications to Beijing.
The revelations, first detailed by The Telegraph describe multiple hacking incidents affecting Downing Street staff and broader government systems, with particularly intense activity during Mr. Sunak's premiership from 2022 to 2024. While it remains unclear if the prime ministers' personal devices were directly compromised, intelligence sources told the newspaper the breach extended deep into the core of No. 10 Downing Street, granting hackers possible access to calls, text messages, metadata, and geolocation data.
The operation is linked to a global cyber-espionage effort attributed to Chinese actors, codenamed Salt Typhoon by U.S. intelligence. This campaign has targeted telecommunications networks worldwide, including in the United States and other Five Eyes alliance partners (Australia, Canada, and New Zealand). Former U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Anne Neuberger described it as "one of maybe the more successful campaigns in the history of espionage," noting hackers could "record phone calls at will" and track millions of individuals.
Breaches were uncovered in 2024, largely through U.S. intelligence sharing, though British officials have only publicly acknowledged a "cluster of activity" in the UK. MI5 issued an espionage alert to Parliament in November 2025 warning of Chinese state spying threats, amid growing concerns over Beijing's aggressive cyber activities. The timing of the report is particularly sensitive, coming just as Prime Minister Keir Starmer prepares for a high-profile visit to China—the first by a British leader since 2018—focused on trade and investment.
Experts warn that even metadata alone could reveal contact patterns, meeting locations, and decision-making processes, posing significant national security risks. The campaign's persistence raises questions about whether current Downing Street staff, including those around Sir Keir, remain vulnerable, as U.S. sources suggest Salt Typhoon may still be active.
China has consistently rejected such allegations. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in London stated: "China is a staunch defender of cyber security and one of the major victims of cyber espionage and attacks. We firmly oppose the practice of politicising cybersecurity issues or accusing other countries without evidence." Beijing has previously dismissed similar claims as "baseless" and politically motivated.
The disclosure has intensified domestic criticism of the UK government's approach to China. Shadow figures and security experts have called for a more robust strategy, pointing to a recent parliamentary intelligence committee report that accused the government of lacking an effective China policy. Opposition voices have questioned the timing, especially following approvals for China's planned large embassy in London.
As investigations continue and diplomatic engagements proceed, the incident underscores the escalating cyber threats facing Western governments. The full extent of compromised data—and any long-term strategic impact—remains under assessment, but the breach has already sparked urgent calls for enhanced cybersecurity defenses at the highest levels of British power.
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