Ethical Hacking News
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has found itself at the center of a major cybersecurity breach, with sensitive information about the government's budget policies being leaked online 45 minutes before publication. An investigation is underway to determine how the breach occurred and what measures can be taken to prevent it in the future.
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) experienced a major cybersecurity breach, leaving the UK government's budget watchdog embarrassed.The OBR inadvertently uploaded its November 2025 Economic and Fiscal Outlook document to a publicly accessible server 45 minutes before publication.A former NCSC chief, Ciaran Martin, has been brought in as an expert advisor to investigate the breach and recommend measures to prevent similar incidents.The investigation is expected to be completed by December 1 and will examine the events leading up to the discovery and the publication pipeline that enabled it.The breach raised questions about the OBR's ability to manage sensitive information and its commitment to cybersecurity.The incident has led to calls for greater accountability from public institutions, despite the OBR's reputation for transparency.
The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has found itself at the center of a major cybersecurity breach, one that has left the UK government's budget watchdog in a state of embarrassment. According to reports, the OBR inadvertently uploaded its November 2025 Economic and Fiscal Outlook (EFO) document to a publicly accessible server 45 minutes before it was due to be published. The document, which contained sensitive information about the government's budget policies, was quickly discovered by reporters who were able to guess the URL of the leaked document.
The leak was not only embarrassing for the OBR but also raised serious concerns about the organization's cybersecurity protocols. The incident has led to an investigation into the breach, with former NCSC chief Ciaran Martin being brought in as an expert advisor to help determine how the breach occurred and what measures can be taken to prevent such incidents in the future.
In a statement, OBR chair Richard Hughes apologized for the leak, calling it a "serious error" that was a "betrayal of the public's trust." He promised that swift action would be taken to ensure that such an incident does not happen again. The investigation into the breach is expected to be completed by December 1 and will be guided by Martin as expert advisor, alongside Treasury IT and security specialists.
The leak has also raised questions about the OBR's ability to manage sensitive information and its commitment to cybersecurity. The incident has been widely criticized on social media, with many calling for greater accountability from public institutions. However, it is worth noting that the OBR has a reputation for being one of the most transparent and open organizations in government, and this leak may have been an isolated incident.
The investigation into the breach will examine the events that led to its discovery, as well as the publication pipeline that enabled it. The review will also recommend corrective measures and a timeline for implementation. It is hoped that the findings of the investigation will provide some insight into what went wrong and how such incidents can be prevented in the future.
The incident has also raised questions about the role of cybersecurity experts in government institutions. Ciaran Martin, who founded the NCSC before stepping down in 2020, has been brought in to help determine how the breach occurred and what measures can be taken to prevent it. His involvement suggests that the OBR recognizes the importance of having external expertise to help with cybersecurity matters.
In conclusion, the OBR cyber breach is a serious incident that has left the UK government's budget watchdog in a state of embarrassment. The investigation into the breach is expected to provide some insight into what went wrong and how such incidents can be prevented in the future. It is clear that the OBR will take swift action to address this incident, but it remains to be seen whether the necessary measures will be put in place to prevent similar breaches in the future.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/OBR-Cyber-Breach-A-Blunder-of-Epic-Proportions-Reveals-Budget-Leak-ehn.shtml
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/11/28/obr_ciaran_martin/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cgmn991pz9jo
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15332867/Was-simple-web-edit-responsible-leaking-OBRs-Budget-analysis-Rattled-forecaster-calls-cyber-security-expert-budget-leak-sources-tell-Mail-blunder-conspiracy.html
Published: Fri Nov 28 06:16:14 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
