UK faces 'disturbing' number of cyber attacks

Attacks include a recent serious assault on the Foreign Office's computer network.

LONDON // British government and industry computer systems are facing a "disturbing" number of cyber attacks, including a recent serious assault on the Foreign Office's network, the head of Britain's communications spy agency said yesterday.

Iain Lobban, the director of the Government Communications Headquarters, said the attacks posed a threat to Britain's economic well-being.

"The volume of e-crime and attacks on government and industry systems continue to be disturbing," Mr Lobban wrote in TheTimes newspaper. "I can attest to attempts to steal British ideas and designs - in the IT, technology, defence, engineering and energy sectors as well as other industries - to gain commercial advantage or to profit from secret knowledge of contractual arrangements."

Mr Lobban said that concerted attacks were being waged on the government as well as companies.

"We are also aware of similar techniques being employed to try to acquire sensitive information from British government computer systems, including one significant [but unsuccessful] attempt on the Foreign Office and other government departments this summer," he wrote.