The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) was recently the target of a "serious cyber-security incident".
The attempted hack has been confirmed on a UK government website, which explains that BAE Systems Applied Intelligence - the cyber-security firm - was asked to provide "urgent support".
A spokesperson for the FCDO told the BBC: "We do not comment on security but have systems in place to detect and defend against potential cyber incidents."
The hackers managed to get inside the system, but they were then detected and the situation was dealt with.
Last year, meanwhile, a study found that millions of Brits are using their pet's name as their online password.
The study, conducted by the National Cyber Security Centre (NSCS), found that 15 percent of the population use pets' names.
On the other hand, some 14 percent of people use a family member's name, while 13 percentage pick a notable date.
Reflecting on the data, NCSC communications director Nicola Hudson warned: "We may be a nation of animal lovers, but using your pet's name as a password could make you an easy target for callous cyber-criminals."
Perhaps most surprisingly, some six percent of the population are still using "password" as all - or a part - of their online code.
