MP's Website Targeted by Cyber Attack
Former Conservative cabinet minister Sir David Davis reported that his website was taken offline following a suspected cyber attack. Representing Goole and Pocklington, the MP informed the House of Commons on Monday evening that his website "was hit with 142 million requests, consuming nearly 800 gigabytes (GB) of data" and noted that a significant portion of the traffic was "traceable to China."
"Malicious links were inserted, redirecting users to South East Asian gambling websites – I guess it could be worse. We took it down immediately," he said.
Davis further explained to the BBC that the attack, which began on Thursday, was "sustained and deliberate." He confirmed that the website was restored and back online by Tuesday evening.
Details of the Attack and Impact
Speaking in the Commons, Davis stated:
"Last Thursday, my IPSA-provided website was compromised.
It was restored but then came under sustained distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, traceable to China.
This is not a minor nuisance, it's a direct interference with a Member of Parliament carrying out his duties."
Distributed denial of service attacks function by overwhelming a website or online service with excessive internet traffic, aiming to disrupt access or render the site offline.
The Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority (IPSA) offers funding to MPs for website expenses, provided they meet specific compliance conditions.
Parliamentary Response and Security Advice
Deputy Speaker Nus Ghani addressed MPs, stating:
"I do not think it would be appropriate to discuss the details publicly about preventative action and how members are supported to protect themselves against these kinds of cyber threats.
If members would like security advice on how to make personal accounts and devices more resilient, they should contact PSD (Parliamentary Security Department).
For matters related to parliamentary accounts and equipment, members should contact PDS through the PDS service desk."
Additional Information
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