Facilities to receive greater protection in attempt to reduce potential impact of adverse incidents or attacks Datacentres in the UK are to be designated as critical national infrastructure in an effort to protect them from cyber-attacks and IT blackouts, the government has said. The buildings store much of the …
Paul Givan says details of 407 people mistakenly sent out included names, addresses and personal comments The education minister in Northern Ireland has “unreservedly” apologised after the personal details of more than 400 people who had offered to contribute to a review of special education needs were breached. The …
The force has said there was nothing to suggest at the time that the messages were part of a wider pattern The Metropolitan police first had reports of unsolicited messages targeting a number of MPs, staff and journalists in Westminster last year, but officers failed to notify politicians. After …
Tory MP resigns committee roles after apology for role in parliamentary sexting scandal The Conservative MP who divulged colleagues’ personal phone numbers to someone he met on a dating app as part of a parliamentary sexting scandal has stepped down from two Commons roles, it has been reported. William …
Message comes as pressure builds on Tories to take disciplinary action against MP William Wragg UK politics – latest updates Downing Street has urged MPs to be cautious when responding to unsolicited messages, after the “spear-phishing” attack that targeted more than a dozen MPs, staff and journalists working in Westminster …
Evans says he was first to alert authorities after receiving messages in what is suspected to be part of wider attempt to target MPs A Conservative MP has revealed that he was targeted in the Westminster sexting scandal and was the MP that first alerted the authorities. Luke Evans …
The ‘senior Tory’ has issued a self-flagellating apology, but we should see him as a child of this political age Where to start with Westminster’s latest scandal, which – without wishing to speculate on spoilers – I suggest you formally label as “developing”? Blowing his own cover in it is …
William Wragg says he was pressed for colleagues’ details after sharing compromising photos of himself A senior Conservative MP has reportedly admitted to giving out the personal phone numbers of colleagues to a person he met on a dating app. William Wragg told the Times that he gave the …
At least a dozen people sent suspicious messages, with senior figures suggesting foreign state could be culprit A police investigation has been launched after MPs were apparently targeted in a “spear-phishing” attack, in what security experts believe could be an attempt to compromise parliament. A police force said it …
UK election watchdog admits it did not pass assessment in 2021, when voter data security was breached The Electoral Commission has admitted it failed a cybersecurity test in the same year that hackers successfully attacked the organisation. The UK’s elections watchdog said it did not pass a Cyber …
Deputy PM says technology may aid faster government decisions – but warns of massive hacking risks Artificial intelligence could have a more significant impact on Britain than the Industrial Revolution, the deputy prime minister has said, but warned it could be used by hackers to access sensitive information from the …
There were 9,000 breaches of personal information last year but experts say not enough is being done to stop them “It’s brutal. People are wondering if they should resign, or move house, or get fortified gates. You can feel the anger.” The comment from a former officer …
Names and addresses of 40 million registered voters were accessible as far back as 2021 after cyber-attack Confidence in the UK’s electoral regulator has been thrown into question after it emerged a hostile cyber-attack accessing the data of 40 million voters went undetected for a year and the …
Electoral Commission hack is reminder of importance of protecting democratic system where it counts It turns out that while Conservative ministers were spending hours of parliamentary time in 2021-22 introducing requirements for voters to produce ID at polling stations – to protect elections against a threat most experts believed was …
Exclusive: experts say sensitive information could potentially have been harvested and used for targeted election interference The voting intentions of millions of Britons in local authority wards across the country could have been at risk of misuse as a result of a glitch in the Labour party’s main …
Move by Greater London authority comes after Chinese-owned app was blocked on UK parliamentary devices London City Hall staff will no longer have TikTok on their devices in the latest ban imposed on the Chinese-owned social media app over security concerns. The Greater London authority (GLA) said the rule …
Letter argues that Chinese-owned video-sharing app could be in breach of UK law A cross-party group of MPs and peers have asked the information commissioner to investigate whether the Chinese-owned TikTok’s handling of personal information is in breach of UK law. The letter from the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on …
Move brings Britain in line with US and Europe and reflects worsening relations with China Britain is to ban the Chinese-owned video-sharing app TikTok from ministers’ and civil servants’ mobile phones, bringing the UK in line with the US and the European Commission and reflecting deteriorating relations with Beijing …
Ban on Chinese owned video-sharing app marks U-turn from previous relaxed position Britain is expected to announce a ban on the Chinese owned video-sharing app TikTok on government mobile phones imminently, bringing the UK inline with the US and European Commission and reflecting deteriorating relations with Beijing. The decision …
PM under pressure to follow EU and US in taking step over fears Chinese-owned app poses cybersecurity risk Rishi Sunak has been urged to ban government officials from using TikTok in line with moves by the EU and US, amid growing cybersecurity fears over China. Officials in Europe and …
Regulator says safety of hundreds of individuals was jeopardised after their addresses were posted online The Cabinet Office has been fined £500,000 by the UK’s data watchdog after the postal addresses of the 2020 New Year honours recipients were disclosed online. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO …
Group of 10 MPs and peers say Boris Johnson’s government has prioritised trade over national security Boris Johnson’s government has been accused by MPs of prioritising trade agreements over national security in its handling of surveillance abuses on British soil by governments using spyware made by the …
The government says an overhaul will boost growth and increase trade – but it must be careful not to go too far The government has announced plans to reshape the UK’s data laws such as GDPR requirements in an effort, it claims, to boost growth and increase trade post-Brexit …
Culture secretary says move could lead to an end to irritating cookie popups and consent requests online Britain will attempt to move away from European data protection regulations as it overhauls its privacy rules after Brexit, the government has announced. The freedom to chart its own course could lead …
Exclusive: civil service chief points to work to improve cybersecurity in response to Labour concerns Ministers and civil servants conducting “government by WhatsApp” have been at risk of being targeted by hackers, leading to new advice from security chiefs about how to improve their privacy. The cabinet secretary, Simon …