Russian hackers breached the email accounts of British government officials – The Telegraph
Hackers linked to Russia have gained access to the email accounts of British government officials and employees of the UK Foreign Office. The Telegraph reported this, citing sources.
According to the publication, the attackers have already put some of the stolen data—emails and passwords—up for sale on dark web forums for $60,000. Among those affected are IT staff at British embassies in Thailand and Mauritius, as well as local government officials.
Cybersecurity expert Dr. Saif Abed believes that the data breach threatens the country’s healthcare system, pharmaceutical suppliers, and energy companies.
“NHS organizations, pharmacies, laboratories, and their suppliers are heavily reliant on products affected by FortiBleed. This is exactly the type of breach that serves as the first step toward launching catastrophic attacks,” he noted.
The UK’s National Cyber Security Center has already issued an urgent warning about the attack and ordered that all compromised devices be isolated immediately.
The Telegraph notes that in June 2024, Russia-linked hackers had already compromised the IT system of the medical company Synnovis—at that time, hospitals were forced to cancel more than a thousand surgeries and two thousand appointments.
There is currently no direct evidence of Russia’s involvement in the current cyberattack; however, according to the publication, the hacking code reviewed by The Telegraph was written in Russian.
The British government is launching one of the most ambitious defense reforms in recent decades, drawing on Ukraine’s military experience.
The UK Ministry of Defense has decided to phase out the AH1 Wildcat multi-role helicopters. Their retirement from the Army Aviation is scheduled to begin in 2027, after approximately 12 years of service.
