MPs’ emails hit by cyber attack

PARLIAMENT was hit by a cyber attack yesterday as hackers tried to access MPs emails, writes Camilla Tominey.

MPs were alerted on Friday night when they were unable to access mail remotely and had problems accessing their email accounts yesterday.

An email to all MPs read: “We discovered unusual activity and evidence of an attempted cyber attack on our computer network.”

Sent by Parliamentary Digital Service director Rob Greig, it added: “Closer investigation by our team confirmed that hackers were carrying out a sustained and determined attack on all parliamentary user accounts in an attempt to identify weak passwords. These attempts specifically were trying to gain access to user emails.”

The attack comes just days after reports that passwords of ministers were being sold online after hackers gained access.

The parliamentary authorities are working with the National Cyber Security Centre to protect the network and ascertain the scale of the damage.

The email confirmed that access to systems from Westminster had not been affected, adding: “I can assure you that the action we have taken is necessary to protect Parliament.”

One MP said email accounts were “vulnerable” and warned that officials were always “one or two steps behind the hackers”.