The UK Government has been urged to launch an investigation into claims that Liz Truss’ mobile phone was hacked by Russian spies.

The alleged breach, first reported by The Mail on Sunday, is said to have occurred while Truss was running in the Conservative Party leadership contest earlier this year.

Notably, unnamed sources told the Daily Mail that details of the breach were suppressed by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Cabinet Secretary Simon Case.

Who hacked Liz Truss’ phone?

According to the Daily Mail, spies working on behalf of Russian President Vladimir Putin gained unauthorised access to sensitive government information, including correspondence between Truss and foreign government officials concerning the conflict in Ukraine.

A source told the publication that Truss’s device was so heavily compromised that security officials placed it in a “locked safe” at a secure government location.

Private conversations between Liz Truss and former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng were also exposed, sources claim. It is believed that these particular messages included critical statements about Boris Johnson.

Government investigation

Opposition parties have called for an urgent probe in the wake of the story.

Speaking to Sky News’ Sophy Ridge, Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper called for an urgent investigation and warned that the incident raises serious questions about government security protocols.

She stated: “These are very serious allegations…it raises issues around cybersecurity and why cybersecurity has to be taken so seriously by everyone across government.”

Meanwhile, Environment Minister Mark Spencer told Sky News on Monday that Truss was “clearly hacked”.

Spencer also claimed that officials receive “a lot of briefing” from security services on communications risks.

He said: “The former prime minister was clearly hacked. So that is the first thing you do, say ‘oh my goodness, I’ve been hacked, help’, and the security services will help you with that challenge.

“Now, of course, you don’t always know, which is why you’ve got to be super careful.”

A UK Government spokesperson said: “We do not comment on individuals’ security arrangements. 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.”

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Sam Curry, Chief Security Officer at Cybereason said an “immediate government inquiry” into the hack is required and raised similar concerns about security procedures.

He said: “Thus far the lesson is to presume compromise and act accordingly. We are talking about the most obvious of targets that everyone should assume are in the crosshairs: senior ministers of one of the most powerful nations on earth, aligned with a country at war with a pariah nation with demonstrated cyber capabilities and the will to hack.”

Curry added that “at a minimum”, no high-ranking government officials should be using personal phones or devices to conduct business.

He explained: “Simply having “normal” measures isn’t enough when dealing with the leadership of a nation like the United Kingdom.

“While UK government officials claim there are robust security measures in place to prevent cyber-attacks, enforcement should really get stronger as rank increases.”

“This is true in government as much as in the private sector and should be an object lesson to executives everywhere to make sure to not flex the muscles of privilege to get exemptions. The crosshairs of criminals and foreign powers are on you.”

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