Russia is chief suspect in hunt for hackers who attacked parliament computers and gained access to 90 email accounts
RUSSIA is suspected of being behind an unprecedented cyber attack on Westminster that targeted MPs, according to reports.
The probe into the major hack at an early stage but according to the Guardian Moscow is deemed the most likely culprit.
A security source told the Guardian: “It was a brute force attack. It appears to have been state-sponsored.
“The nature of cyber-attacks means it is notoriously difficult to attribute an incident to a specific actor.”
Up to 90 parliamentary email accounts may have been compromised.
Cyber specialists are concerned MPs could be at risk of blackmail or terror attacks.
Officials confirmed hackers had targeted all 650 MPs as well as peers, political aides, constituency staff and officials who work in the building on Friday - with Sky sources suggesting up to 90 accounts could have been compromised.
The cyber attack, which took place over more than 12 hours on Friday, saw unknown rogue hackers probe "weak" passwords belonging to politicians and aides across the UK.
Officials are now working with the National Cyber Security Centre to identify the method of the attack and prevent attackers from gaining further access.
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The a spokesman for the House of Commons said: "Parliament's first priority has been to protect the parliamentary network and systems from the sustained and determined cyber attack to ensure that the business of the Houses can continue.
"Houses will meet as planned tomorrow.
"Investigations are ongoing, but it has become clear that significantly fewer than one per cent of the 9,000 accounts on the parliamentary network have been compromised as a result of the use of weak passwords that did not conform to guidance issued by the Parliamentary Digital Service.
"As they are identified, the individuals whose accounts have been compromised have been contacted and investigations to determine whether any data has been lost are underway."
Parliamentary officials were forced to lock MPs out of their own accounts on Friday in a desperate bid to keep the hackers from accessing key or classified information.
The affected network is used by every MP in the UK - including Prime Minister Theresa May.
A couple of MPs and peers tweeted about their emails not working after parliamentary officials stopped at least one method for accessing data away from Westminster.
Issuing an apology to his constituents over the breach, Lib Dem peer Lord Rennard said: "Cyber security attack on Westminster Parliamentary e.mails may not work remotely Text urgent messages @LibDemLords @LabourLordsUK @Torypeers."
Dudley MP Ian Austin also posted about his parliamentary emails not working just moments after Lord Rennard's tweet.
He said: "There's something wrong with Parliamentary emails so if you did email me, can you send to ian.c.austin@outlook.com instead plse? Apologies."
And Angela Rayner, Labour’s shadow education secretary, tweeted: “If you try and contact me by my parliamentary email address then l will not be able to respond currently, this is due to a cyber attack."
Meanwhile, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has said the attack should be seen as a "warning to everyone we need more security and better passwords".
He said: "You wouldn't leave your door open at night."
It comes a day after The Sun revealed prisons were hit by the same cyber attack that caused havoc for the NHS.
A “handful” of jails in England and Wales were targeted and 1,200 computers affected.
They were struck by a strain of the global WannaCry ransomware virus which 47 NHS trusts suffered last month.
Earlier this month the US National Security Agency said the WannaCry worm that hit 150 countries was linked to North Korea.
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