Democracy 'under attack' as MPs warn 'hostile states' could target mobile phones

Sign up for Inside Politics email for your briefing free daily on the biggest stories in British politicsGet our free Inside Politics emailPlease enter a valid email addressPlease enter a valid email addressI would like to be notified by email about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice{{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}An error has occurred. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }}

The Security Secretary has warned Britain's democracy is 'under attack' after MPs were warned their mobile phones were a 'potential gold mine for states hostilities" seeking to harvest sensitive information.< /p>

Tom Tugendhat gave a stark assessment of the situation after Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle gave MPs advice from the National Center for government cybersecurity to minimize their security risks.

“If the hackers switched on a phone's microphone, everyone in the room could be heard,” Sir Lindsay wrote to MPs.< /p>

Her letter, first reported by the HuffPost UK website, comes after reports emerged that Liz Truss' personal phone was hacked by agents believed to be working for the Kremlin while she was Minister of Foreign Affairs es foreigners.

Sir Lindsay said: "As recent events have underscored, hostile states continue to target parliamentarians to better understand or exert influence over our democratic processes for their economic advantage, military or political."

Tom Tugendhat

(PA Wire)

He added: "Our phones contain so much information: our messages, emails, contacts, photos and social media posts - including private, sensitive, personal, historical and sometimes even deleted data.

" They go almost everywhere with us, and have built-in sensitive cameras and microphones, making them a potential goldmine for hostile states (as well as criminals and fraudsters) who want sensitive information about Parliament and parliamentarians. »

Mr. Tugendhat leads a Westminster task force to address threats to the UK's democratic institutions.

He said "our democracy is under attack" and the President "is right to warn all MPs".

"That's why I'm leading a new task force to bring together different groups who can protect our fundamental sovereignty - the right to choose who leads us," he said .