London, Oct 31 (ANI): Britain has been subjected to a "disturbing" number of cyber attacks, an intelligence agency official has claimed.
Iain Lobban, director of the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) said that sensitive data on government computers has been targeted, along with defence, technology and engineering firms' designs, the BBC reports.
He added that there was a "significant" unsuccessful internet-based attack on Foreign Office computer systems this summer.
Writing in the Times, Lobban said that the volume of e-crime and attacks on government and industry systems continues to be disturbing.
"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," he wrote.
"Such intellectual property theft doesn't just cost the companies concerned; it represents an attack on the UK's continued economic wellbeing," he added.
Lobban also said that government online taxation and benefits services could be targeted in future, adding that a black economy had already developed which saw UK citizens' credit card details offered for sale. (ANI)
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