The UK Electoral Commission has found itself in the midst of a cybersecurity crisis, as it admitted to failing a significant cybersecurity test while hackers breached its systems, compromising the data of a staggering 40 million voters. This alarming revelation came to light after a whistleblower disclosed that the Commission received an automatic failure during a Cyber Essentials audit.
Furthermore, the breach, occurring between August 2021 and October 2022, granted unauthorized access to email correspondence and sensitive voter databases, with the method and culprits behind the breach still unidentified.
Notably, the Commission’s cybersecurity shortcomings, highlighted by its failed audit, likely played a role in the breach. Auditors pinpointed issues like outdated software on approximately 200 staff laptops and the use of unsupported iPhones as key factors in the failed test.
These revelations have raised serious concerns about the Commission’s preparedness in the realm of cybersecurity, especially given the government’s mandate for Cyber Essentials certification among data-handling suppliers. The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is urgently investigating the breach’s implications for data privacy and security.
While the Commission initially downplayed the breach, stating it was “largely in the public domain,” it affected the data of millions who had opted out of public registers. The breach’s motives remain uncertain, but the extended period of undetected access suggests a purpose beyond quick financial gain, according to Andrew Rose, resident CISO at Proofpoint.
This incident serves as a stark reminder to all public and private organizations to bolster their cyber defenses promptly, making it more challenging for cybercriminals to infiltrate their systems and preventing such incidents from recurring.
Surprisingly, the Commission did not reapply for Cyber Essentials certification in 2022, but it has pledged to enhance its cybersecurity measures in collaboration with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), as investigations into the breach continue.
