Over 2,000 Government Mobile Devices Lost in the UK

The loss of mobile devices issued to UK government employees for official duties has become a serious concern. According to The Guardian, more than 2,000 smartphones, tablets, and laptops have gone missing or been stolen in the past year. Replacing them would require at least £1.3 million in funding.

The highest number of losses was recorded at the Department for Work and Pensions — 240 laptops and 125 phones were lost over the year. The Cabinet Office reported the loss or theft of 66 laptops and 124 mobile phones. In the first five months of the current year, the Ministry of Defence reported losing 103 laptops and 387 phones.

Cybersecurity experts have described the situation as a serious threat. Professor Alan Woodward from the University of Surrey stated that such a number of losses provides huge opportunities for hackers. "Even if only 1% of the lost devices belonged to system administrators, that alone would be enough to breach the system," he said.

The Ministry of Defence and the Bank of England claim that government data remains protected through encryption if devices are lost or stolen. At the same time, investigations into the theft cases are ongoing.

This incident has once again raised concerns in the UK regarding information security and the oversight of official equipment. Authorities emphasize the need to implement additional measures to prevent such incidents in the future. Read 'Zamin' on Telegram!