British Parliament
An MP is robbed in a pub and loses a briefcase which turns out to contain his work laptop
A state of terror spread among the decision-makers and the halls of the legislative institution in London, after it became clear that many of the secrets of the British Parliament and its members were in the wind and could be revealed at any moment.
In the details published by the widely circulated newspaper “Metro” in London, and viewed by Al-Arabiya.net, it was found that a member of Parliament was robbed and lost a bag that turned out to contain his laptop and the iPad for work. He obtained it from Parliament for the purposes of carrying out his job duties.
The newspaper (METRO) said that the bag was stolen from one of the bars in which the MP was sitting, and the police and IT support were called immediately after the member was informed that the digital devices had been seized.
The police report showed that the work of the deputy was affected by the theft he was subjected to, and that the police were informed of the incident and issued a reference number for it.
The British newspaper said that the House of Commons did not reveal the name of the deputy who was stolen, but the deputy has an official email address on the British Parliament website, and the stolen iPad was used in his work duties.
The press report says that this theft was included in a list of nearly thirty pieces that were lost or stolen from members of parliament and lords over the past year, and also includes another laptop computer that was stolen from an office inside the parliament building.
The disclosure comes at a time of growing concern about cyber security at UK government websites, as the IT network is part of critical national infrastructure, and data security protocols have reportedly been tightened in Parliament over the past few months, as the network faces a high level of security. The threat of cyberattacks that could harm the national interest if defenses are compromised.
And last month, a Chinese tracking device capable of transmitting location data was discovered inside a British government vehicle used to transport diplomats and senior officials.
“A stolen device is troubling news for business, and even more so when it comes to the higher levels of government,” said Ole Benson Roxbow, CEO of cybersecurity provider Bulletproof.
“While we hope the data on the device is encrypted, unless the device is strictly updated, there is always the possibility that security flaws will be exposed, which presents a potential entry point for cybercriminals,” he added.
He continued, “When the bad guys have unfettered physical access to a device they can hack into it at their leisure… If it’s an opportunistic theft, the best outcome is to wipe the device and lose any sensitive data. Otherwise, there are concerns about the data inside and even national security.”