Islam Times - Cyber attack threatens UK armed forces

Islam Times - The British military’s reliance on information technology could put the armed forces at risk of being “fatally compromised” by a cyber attack, MPs have warned.

The House of Commons Defence Committee said the Ministry of Defence (MoD), and the British military are so dependent on the cyber system that could put the country’s security at risk of cyber threats.

The lawmakers said the army could be vulnerable to a sustained cyber attack as the government has not fully grasped “the opportunities and vulnerabilities that” the cyber world presents.

“The evidence we received leaves us concerned that with the armed forces now so dependent on information and communications technology, should such systems suffer a sustained cyber attack, their ability to operate could be fatally compromised,” warned the MPs.

Criticizing the government’s cyber-crime strategy, the committee said, “The government needs to put in place -as it has not yet done - mechanisms, people, education, skills, thinking and policies.”

Many email addresses and passwords belonging to British officials, including 221 military officials, 242 NATO staff, and staff from the Joint Intelligence Organization were hacked, an early analysis by The Guardian has revealed.