UK lawmakers hit by cyber security attack

LONDON: The British parliament has been hit by a cyber attack that is preventing lawmakers from accessing their emails when not in Westminster, politicians and media reports said on Saturday. The Telegraph newspaper said lawmakers were alerted to the hack on Friday and were unable to access their email accounts on Saturday.

Chris Rennard, a member of the Liberal Democrat party in the upper House of Lords, said on Twitter: "Cyber security attack on Westminster, Parliamentary emails may not work remotely, Text urgent messages." Britain’s parliament shut down external access to e-mail accounts on Saturday following a cyberattack.

Parliamentary authorities described the attack as "sustained and determined", in an email sent to lawmakers and published by the Daily Telegraph.