- The loss of devices from British government departments at the top of 2000 in just one year
- Experts fear that stolen devices could provide entry points to pirates
- Telephone and tablet flights have a risk despite general encryption
Have you ever lost a phone or computer and do you worry what someone could find on it?
Thousands of devices have disappeared from British government services in the past year, which raises serious concerns about cybersecurity and data protection.
Analysis by The guardianBased on the disclosure of freedom of information, noted that the government has lost more than 2,000 laptops, phones and tablets in the last 12 months, with an estimated replacement cost of around 1.3 million sterling pounds.
Surprisingly large number
The Department of Labor and Pensions, the Ministry of Defense and the Office Cabinet have each reported hundreds of missing technological articles.
The Ministry of Defense alone recorded 103 missing laptops and 387 phones in just five months of 2025. The other affected departments included HM Treasury, the Bank of England and the Ministry of the Interior.
“We are dealing with all security violations very seriously and we must report all suspected violations. All incidents are subject to an initial security risk assessment, with other measures taken on a proportional basis,” said a MOD spokesperson.
Playing fears, the Ministry of Defense added: “The encryption on the devices guarantees that the data is saved and prevents access to the defense network.”
This feeling was taken up by the Bank of England, which said that it “took the security of devices and data very seriously and has appropriate protection in place”.
The same official line was trotted by a government spokesperson who said: “We take the security of government devices very seriously, which is why articles such as laptops and mobile phones are always encrypted so that any loss does not compromise security.”
Professor Alan Woodward, an expert in cybersecurity at the University of Surrey, was not as reassured, revealing The guardian“These are surprisingly large numbers. When you talk about many many [it creates] A large attack area [for hackers]. If 1% were system administrators who had their stolen phone, this is enough to enter. »»
He added: “If the devices were open when stolen, as often happens with phones torn off in the street, criminals could keep them open and explore the device and once the phone is open, by design, it is readable and accessible.”
