UK Police and fire services face urgent cybersecurity warning – ADS Advance

UK Police and fire services face urgent cybersecurity warning  ADS Advance

HMICFRS warns UK police and fire services over outdated IT systems and cyber risks, setting strict security deadlines through 2028. Police forces and fire and rescue services in the UK have been warned to urgently strengthen their cybersecurity after inspectors found outdated computer systems, inadequate safeguards and weaknesses in their ability to recover from attacks that could put public safety at risk. A report published on Tuesday (October 27) by His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) found that many organisations remain poorly prepared for increasingly sophisticated cyber threats, despite gradual improvements in their security arrangements. The watchdog warned that successful cyberattacks had already disrupted police and emergency services, exposed weaknesses in their systems and imposed substantial recovery costs.

“The cyber threat to police forces and fire and rescue services is significant and expanding rapidly. A major cyberattack is not a hypothetical scenario and successful attacks have been disruptive, put the public at risk and were expensive to fix,” said Michelle Skeer, His Majesty’s Inspector of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services. “While there have been gradual improvements, many forces and services still need to urgently redouble their efforts to respond to the increased risk of cyberattacks.” The inspection, conducted between January and May 2026, examined three police forces in England and Wales and three fire