Electoral Commission Takes Three Years to Recover from Massive Chinese Hack

Elections Watchdog Admits "Painful Lessons Learned" After Chinese Hack The UK's elections watchdog, the Electoral Commission, has revealed it took three years and at least £250,000 to recover from a 2019 hack that compromised the private details of 40 million voters. The attack was attributed to Chinese cyber spies. According to Chief Executive Vijay Rangarajan, the commission was left reeling after discovering the breach, with colleagues describing the experience as "feeling like you'd been burgled". The incident led to a public reprimand last year for a series of security failures that allowed hackers to operate undetected. The hack occurred in 2019, but it took until this year for the commission to fully recover. Rangarajan acknowledged that huge mistakes were made, saying "the culture here has changed significantly now partly as a result of this". He emphasized that the organization is now secure, with enhanced security measures in place. The Electoral Commission oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK to ensure the integrity of the democratic process. The hack raised concerns about the vulnerability of electoral systems to cyber threats. In response to the breach, the commission has implemented new security protocols, including regular penetration testing and improved incident response procedures. Rangarajan stressed that the organization is committed to protecting voter data and preventing similar incidents in the future. The UK government has not commented on the hack or the Electoral Commission's recovery efforts. However, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice said that they take electoral security "very seriously" and are working with the commission to ensure the integrity of elections. As the next general election approaches, concerns about electoral security will likely continue to be a topic of debate. The Electoral Commission has vowed to prioritize voter data protection and prevent similar breaches in the future. *This story is developing. Information compiled from Bbc reporting.*