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 devastating hack by Chinese cyber spies. The attack compromised the private details of 40 million voters.
According to the commission's new CEO, Vijay Rangarajan, the hack was a "huge shock" that required significant cultural changes within the organization. He acknowledged that mistakes were made, but assured that the commission is now secure.
The hack occurred in 2019, with the Electoral Commission publicly reprimanded last year for security failures that allowed hacking groups to spy undetected on databases and email systems. The incident has raised concerns about the integrity of the democratic process.
In response to the hack, the commission implemented new security measures, including enhanced threat detection and improved data protection policies. Rangarajan emphasized that the organization is now better equipped to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The Electoral Commission oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK. The hack has sparked debates about cybersecurity and data protection in the electoral process.
As the commission continues to recover from the hack, it remains to be seen whether further measures will be implemented to enhance election security.
*This story is developing. Information compiled from Bbc reporting.*
