Russian agents hacked former UK PM Lizz Truss's phone: Report
The personal phone of the former prime minister of the United Kingdom (UK), Lizz Truss, who set an off-putting record of holding office for 44 days, was hacked by Russian agents working for President Vladimir Putin, as per a Daily Mail report. The hack was reportedly discovered at the time of the Conservative Party leadership campaign in September this year, which she won.
Why does this story matter?
The United Kingdom, where political turmoil has hardly settled as the country is witnessing the third prime minister since September this year, is again in a tight spot as the top secrets of the country have been allegedly accessed by its rival Russia. The allegedly hacked phone of Truss contained secret details on a wide range of issues pertaining to the UK.
Hackers gained access to top secret details
The Daily Mail report said that the suspected agents of Putin gained access to the top secrets contained in Truss's phone when she was foreign secretary of the country. It added the hackers gained access to details of the UK's negotiations with international allies and Truss's private messages to her close friend, Kwasi Kwarteng, who later made it to her cabinet as finance minister.
Potential risk of blackmail
The report further said hackers also gained access to Truss's communication with Kwarteng that was critical of former prime minister Boris Johnson, in whose cabinet she served as foreign secretary, thus leading to a risk of blackmail. The communication that fell into rival hands also exposed the UK's plans on different fronts—from internal matters to decisions regarding the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, said the report.
Information on weapon shipments to Ukraine
The United Kingdom has remained sided with Ukraine since the latter's conflict with Russia in February this year. The report further suggests that information regarding the UK's support and shipments of weapons to Ukraine was also accessed in the hack by their common rival Russia. Notably, the UK has been providing a range of packages of humanitarian and military assistance to war-torn Ukraine.
'Robust systems in place': Government spokesperson
Officials of the UK government have reportedly declined to comment or confirm the hack. However, Reuters has quoted a government spokesperson as saying, "The Government has robust systems in place to protect against cyber threats. That includes regular security briefings for Ministers and advice on protecting their personal data and mitigating cyber threats." However, the opposition has called for an inquiry into the issue.
