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Comment: Cyber threat to Whitehall requires security 101
January 2025 by David Higgins, Senior Director, Field Technology Office, at global cybersecurity firm CyberArk
Following yesterday’s report released by the NAO which found that UK government departments are under severe threat of cyberattack, the commentary in response from David Higgins, Senior Director, Field Technology Office, at global cybersecurity firm CyberArk.
David believes that whilst funding and outdated systems are issues, the core problem is a failure to implement basic security measures like patching, updates, and access controls.
“Cyberattacks on political organisations aren’t random – they’re part of a long-game strategy designed to destroy or minimise our collective faith in our most trusted institutions. The NAO report makes it clear: Whitehall’s weak cyber defences are leaving government departments exposed, handing attackers easy opportunities to exploit outdated security.
But debates about funding and aging systems aside, the bottom line is that many government agencies are simply failing at security 101—they don’t have the basics covered. These basics include patching, implementing regular system updates, and tightening controls over high profile accounts and administrator credentials.
Without urgent action to lock down the basics, these weaknesses will be exploited again and again, leading to more breaches, more disruption, and more public distrust.”
