The safety of MPs has long been an issue in Westminster, but it has been thrust into the spotlight again after Conservative MP William Large was caught up in a “phishing” scandal this week.
Parliamentary security teams insist they take cyber security very seriously, but MPs face cyberattacks that have become more sophisticated in recent years.
They often take place through newer communication methods, such as WhatsApp, secure services that are harder to monitor than email.
How are members of Congress’ communications and devices monitored?
Complicating matters, Parliament ultimately had limited oversight of WhatsApp use on MPs’ personal digital devices.
Members of Congress and their staff can choose to use a cybersecurity consulting service to help them lock down personal devices and accounts.
The William Wragg controversy has reignited discussions about cybersecurity for members of Congress. Image: PA
Another opt-in service comes from the parliamentary social media monitoring team, which tracks MPs’ Twitter and Facebook profiles to spot serious threats.
For those particularly concerned about hacking and phishing attacks, Parliament’s Personal Cyber Advisory Service provides “hands-on” guidance and invites MPs to bring their phones, tablets and laptops for security checks.
What training do parliamentary staff receive?
MPs will receive a “Top Tips” booklet, written with input from the National Cyber Security Center (NCSC), and further advice will be sent in hard copy to all MPs’ offices.
They also receive tailored security advice to help protect against phishing attacks, which are often widespread attempts to get people to share sensitive information.
Spear phishing is a more customized approach, where fraudsters target individuals in a highly personalized way in the hope that they will share some rather damaging content.This is the central attack type mr large’s scandal.
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In an email sent to MPs this week, staff were reminded that they could register for a personal account with the NCSC to receive quick warning if they suspected or were likely to be targeted.
A parliament spokesman said: “We encourage anyone who is affected and has concerns to contact parliamentary security.”
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“Avoid message requests from unknown accounts”
In 2019, the NCSC published guidance for MPs to help them stay safe online, with an entire section dedicated to precautions to take when using messaging apps like WhatsApp.
See the following suggestions:
In 2019, MPs were specifically warned about the risks of WhatsApp. Image: NCSC
Online safety training marked “Basic”
A parliamentary source told Sky News they received an “online smarts” course when they joined.
As part of their constituency training, they also attended a cyber security course via Zoom – although they said it was quite “basic” and mainly involved password protection.
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