EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Hackers spent 12 hours this past Friday executing a brute-force attack, in which they tried to identify weak passwords and break into the email accounts of British Parliament and aides. The act raised fears that members of Parliament could be subject to blackmail or terrorist threats if the attackers were able to get into the accounts.
Adding to the seriousness of the situation, the network affected is used by all members of Parliament, including Prime Minister Theresa May.
To secure the network, remote access to emails via mobile or laptops outside of Westminster were shut down. Some security sources have asserted that the attack was the biggest in memory to target Parliament. However, it was under control by Friday night. So far, there is no evidence that the hackers actually got into the accounts.
