Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

UK security chiefs issue guidance to ministers over hackers on WhatsApp

UK security chiefs issue guidance to ministers over hackers on WhatsApp

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 Case, revealed that the Government Security Group had issued fresh guidance across government in a letter to Labour, which had raised questions about ministers using their personal phones to conduct official business.

The shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Angela Rayner, wrote to Case criticising ministers’ use of WhatsApp and private email, which has emerged in relation to Covid contracts being discussed on personal digital devices.

The civil service chief said in his reply that the government took security seriously and highlighted the work done to improve it. It is understood the advice was issued in May after high-profile stories about hackers exploiting WhatsApp.

“The NCSC [National Cyber Security Centre] and the Government Security Group in the Cabinet Office may also issue guidance in response to specific threats,” he said. “For example, the Government Security Group recently provided advice on how to secure devices using two-factor authentication in response to hackers using fake messages to access WhatsApp.”

His comments suggest such authentication was not always used routinely.

Hackers are known to have targeted government officials across the globe through WhatsApp. Ministers in Australia, the Netherlands and South Africa have suffered successful attacks on their digital devices.

The Guardian’s investigation into a leak about Pegasus software revealed last month that clients of the Israeli-based cyber intelligence firm NSO could in effect take control of a phone, enabling them to extract messages, calls, photos and emails, secretly activate cameras or microphones, and read the contents of encrypted messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal.

The shadow security minister, Conor McGinn, said “conducting official government business via WhatsApp risks exposing potentially critical information to hackers and cybercriminals who seek to harm our country”.

He also highlighted Boris Johnson’s poor cybersecurity, after it was revealed last year that the prime minister was still using his personal mobile number that was widely available.

Rayner said: “Private WhatsApp messages avoid transparency and scrutiny, and could easily be used to facilitate the waste of taxpayers’ money on contracts for mates of Conservative ministers.

“We need a fully independent inquiry into the government contracts that have been handed out over private email and WhatsApp so we can get to the bottom of this scandal.

“We need all decisions and communications made during the pandemic to be made available to the public inquiry, including those held in private ministerial WhatsApp messages.”

A Cabinet Office spokesperson said the government had sent the guidance to all departmental employees in May.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
Intel Reports Revenue Beats but Sees 81% Rise in Losses
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
Tulsi Gabbard Unveils Evidence Alleging Political Manipulation of Intelligence During Trump Administration
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Trump Announces Coca-Cola to Shift to Cane Sugar in U.S. Production
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
Moonshot AI Unveils Kimi K2: A New Open-Source AI Model
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
×