Cyber security experts alerted as British government services report more than 2,000 missing laptops, tablets and phones
- Advertisement -
Related Posts
- Advertisement -
- Device loss of the British government departments Tops 2000 in just one year
- Experts fear that stolen devices can offer access points for hackers
- Phone and tablet thefts are at risk despite widespread coding
Have you ever lost a phone or computer and worried about what someone might find on it?
Thousands of devices have been missing in British government services in the past year, which expresses serious concern about cyber security and data protection.
Analysis by The guardianBased on freedom of information, it turned out that the government has lost more than 2,000 laptops, telephones and tablets in the last 12 months, with a replacement costs estimated at around £ 1.3 million.
Surprisingly large figures
The Ministry of Work and Pensions, Ministry of Defense and the Cabinet Office each reported hundreds of missing technical items.
The Ministry of Defense alone registered 103 missing laptops and 387 telephones in just five months of 2025. Other affected departments included HM Treasury, the Bank of England and the Home Office.
“We deal with all the infringements on security very seriously and we require that all suspected infringements are reported. All incidents are subject to an initial security risk, with further action taken on a proportional basis,” said a mod spokesperson.
Playing fears, the Ministry of Defense added: “Coding on devices ensures that all data is protected and prevents access to the defense network.”
This sentiment was reflected by the Bank of England, who said that “the security of devices and data takes very serious and has suitable protection.”
The same official line was moved by a government spokesperson who said: “We take the safety of government devices extremely seriously, and therefore items such as laptops and mobile phones are always coded, so that every loss does not endanger security.”
Professor Alan Woodward, a cyber security expert at the University of Surrey, was not reassured, telling The guardian‘These are surprisingly large numbers. If you’re talking about so much [it creates] A large attack surface [for hackers]. If 1% were system administrators who had stolen their phones, that is enough to come in. “
He added: “If devices were open when they were stolen, so often, telephones that have been thrown away on the street could keep them open and drill them in the device and as soon as the phone is open, it is readable and accessible by design.”
Maybe you like it too
- Advertisement -
