Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

For UK foreign secretary, simply having a mobile represents a security risk

For UK foreign secretary, simply having a mobile represents a security risk

Analysis: UK prides itself on GCHQ’s cyber capability – so availability of Raab’s number will have been embarrassing for him
Finding Dominic Raab’s mobile phone online is more than just embarrassing for the foreign secretary: it also represents a security risk, just as when it emerged Boris Johnson’s number could be easily found online in April.

Sophisticated spyware technology – of the type available to a rapidly growing number of governments outside the west – can, in some circumstances, be secretly inserted into a person’s phone without any interaction from the target.

Just knowing a phone number can be enough. Last December, Citizen Lab, a privacy watchdog that is part of the University of Toronto, said it had detected that spyware had been secretly inserted into 36 phones belonging to journalists, producers and executives at the Qatar-based al-Jazeera news network.

Such spyware can quietly take over a device, exploiting little-known vulnerabilities to give an attacker complete access to calls, messages, contacts and other media. More disturbing still, it can take over a phone’s camera and, in particular, the microphone for eavesdropping.

Even in the absence of such vulnerabilities, there are simpler techniques: billionaire Jeff Bezos allegedly had his phone hacked in 2018 after he had been sent a WhatsApp message containing a malicious video file from the personal account of the Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, although the Saudis deny the claim.

Political leaders the world over are invariably targets for spying, although revelations of that truth are rarely comfortable when they burst into the open. Angela Merkel accused the US of a “serious breach of confidence” in 2013 after it emerged that the German chancellor’s mobile phone was likely being monitored by the National Security Agency.

So it was not surprising that when the Foreign Office was told Raab’s phone number was available online, officials wanted it removed before the Guardian published its story. The spectrum of possible risks is well understood.

Nevertheless, the UK prides itself on having some of the best cyber capability in the world, based at GCHQ. It is a claim that few would doubt, though Britain’s cyber defenders are up against other sophisticated opponents: China, Russia and private companies selling spyware technology around the world.

Politicians, when they enter the British government, are offered a mobile phone security assessment, according to Whitehall sources, and a new device – so long as they do not mind the intrusion of having the security services taking control of their phone.

Last week, it was reported that Johnson had his mobile phone swiftly removed and replaced in April after the news emerged that his number had been available online. But his number had been accessible to anyone for 15 years, nearly two of them when he was prime minister.

Ministers are told not to transact classified government business by mobile phone but security insiders recognise that in reality prime ministers and foreign secretaries will want to hold informal conversations with colleagues and counterparts on the device to hand, just like everybody else.

For a senior politician, like Johnson or Raab, simply having a mobile phone represents a potential security risk that has to be managed. Having their private phone numbers circulating freely online compounds that risk.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×