Parliamentary Staffers Lose Dozens of Electronic Devices in Just Two Years

Parliamentary staffers have lost a total of 96 laptops, tablet computers and other gadgets in the last two calendar years, according to official figures.

The data, which was obtained by Parliament Street think tank under Freedom of Information (FOI) legislation, examined device losses by Parliamentary staffers over the calendar years of 2020 and 2019. In total, 41 laptops reported missing and 36 tablets. The remaining missing items included 11 phones and 6 skype headsets.

In an age of ever-increasing cyberattacks and malicious online activity, the losses of digital parliamentary items like laptops and tablets is particularly worrying. Staffers’ devices will hold often sensitive details about Members of Parliament, their timetables, their plans and arrangements as well as potentially sensitive government documents. It is also a reasonable assumption that although there will likely be a certain degree of security on these devices, it is unlikely to be sufficient and staffers are unlikely to use the necessary levels of encryption, let alone using a VPN and other additional layers of protection.

The data showed that there were 11 incidents of devices being reported as lost on trains, 3 left on a bus and 6 lost in a car over the two-year period. In addition, 16 devices went missing on estate and 13 reported missing off estate. 1 tablet was stolen in a hotel and 1 laptop was stolen on the London Underground across the two years.

In total over the 2-year period 19 devices were reported as stolen and 47 were reported as lost. Of the total devices reported missing only 17 were located and found.

For many in the private sector, this level of losses of items like laptops, tablets and other high value electronic items would garner a lot more internal attention and would likely lead to questions being asked. Particularly in 2020, where the same parliamentarians were imposing draconian restrictions on the UK population, replacing devices at this scale is at best reckless and at worst, totally careless.

The interesting question TechRound would pose, is where these devices have ended up and what has been done to recover them?

How Many Electronic Devices Were Lost By Parliamentary Staffers in 2020?

2020 (43)

Date of Incident Item Location Lost/Stolen Found Customer Group
######## Laptop Train Lost No HoC Member/Staff
######## Laptop Airport Lost No HoC Member/Staff
######## Laptop Pub Lost Yes HoC Member/Staff
######## Laptop On Estate Lost No HoC Member/Staff
######## Tablet (Cell) Unknown Lost No HoC Member/Staff
######## Tablet (Cell) On Estate Lost No HoC Member/Staff
######## Tablet (Cell) Taxi Lost No HoC Member/Staff
######## Laptop Taxi Lost Yes HoC Admin
######## Tablet (WIFI) Taxi Lost Yes HoC Admin
######## Laptop Train Station Stolen No PDS
######## Laptop Car Stolen No PDS
######## Tablet (Cell) On Estate Lost Yes HoC Member/Staff
######## Laptop Charger On Estate Lost No HoC Member/Staff
######## Laptop On Estate Lost No HoC Member/Staff
######## Laptop On Estate Lost No HoC Member/Staff
######## Tablet (Cell) Car Stolen No HoC Member/Staff
######## Laptop On Estate Stolen No HoL Admin
######## Laptop Car Lost No HoC Member/Staff
######## Laptop Train Lost Yes HoC Admin
######## Phone Unknown Lost No HoC Admin
######## Tablet (WIFI) Unknown Lost No HoC Admin
######## Laptop Unknown Lost No HoC Member/Staff
######## Laptop Courier Lost Yes HoC Admin
######## Laptop Unknown Lost No PDS
######## Laptop Unknown Lost No HoC Member/Staff
######## Laptop Mail Lost No HoC Member/Staff
######## Tablet (Cell) Unknown Lost No HoC Member/Staff
######## Laptop Unknown Lost No HoC Member/Staff
######## Laptop Home Address Stolen No HoC Admin
######## Laptop Internet Retailer Lost No PDS
######## Tablet (Cell) Bicycle Stolen No HoL Peer
######## Tablet (Cell) On Estate Lost Yes HoC Member/Staff
######## Laptop On Estate Lost No HoC Member/Staff
######## Laptop Courier Lost No HoC Member/Staff
######## Tablet (WIFI) Hotel Stolen No HoC Admin
######## Tablet (Cell) Train Lost No HoC Member/Staff
######## Laptop Bus Lost No HoC Admin
######## Tablet (Cell) Bus Lost Yes HoC Member/Staff
######## Tablet (Cell) Train Lost No HoC Member/Staff
######## Laptop On Estate Lost No HoC Member/Staff
######## Phone On Estate Lost No HoC Admin
######## Tablet (WIFI) Unknown Lost No HoC Admin
######## Laptop Train Lost No PDS

 

How Many Electronic Devices Were Lost By Parliamentary Staffers in 2019?

2019 (53)

######## Phone Unknown Lost No
######## Skype Headset Unknown Lost No
######## Tablet (Cell) Unknown Lost Yes
######## Laptop Home Stolen No
######## Skype Headset Not known Lost No
######## Phone Off Estate Lost No
######## Laptop Home Stolen No
######## Laptop Train Lost No
######## Phone Off Estate Lost No
######## Laptop/Skype Headset Off Estate Stolen No
######## Laptop Unknown Stolen No
######## Laptop Plane Lost No
######## Tablet (WiFi) Unknown Lost No
######## Tablet (Cell) Off Estate Stolen No
######## Laptop London Underground Stolen No
######## Tablet (Cell) Off Estate Lost No
######## Phone Train Lost No
######## Tablet (WiFi) and Phone Off estate Lost No
######## Skype Headset Off Estate Lost No
######## Phone Off Estate Lost No
######## Tablet (Cell) Off Estate Stolen No
######## Phone On Estate Lost Yes
######## Laptop Off Estate Lost Yes
######## Tablet (Cell) On Estate Lost No
######## Phone Unknown Lost No
######## Phone Unknown Lost No
######## Phone On Estate Lost Yes
######## Tablet (WiFi) Off Estate Lost No
######## Laptop On Estate Lost No
######## Laptop Unknown Lost Yes
######## Tablet (Cell) Off Estate Lost No
######## Laptop/Printer Car Stolen No
######## Tablet (Cell) Taxi Lost No
######## Tablet (Cell) Train Lost No
######## Laptop Home Stolen No
######## Tablet (Cell) Off Estate Lost No
######## Laptop Off Estate Stolen No
######## Laptop Downing Street Lost Yes
######## Tablet (Cell) Plane Lost No
######## Tablet (Cell) Train Stolen No
######## Phone Car Lost No
######## Tablet (WiFi) On Estate Lost No
######## Phone Taxi Lost No
######## 2x Skype Headset On Estate Lost Yes
######## Tablet (Cell) Unknown Lost No
######## Tablet (Cell) Airport Lost No
######## Tablet (Cell) Train Lost Yes
######## Laptop Bus Lost No
######## Tablet (cell) Train Station Stolen No
######## Laptop Train Lost Yes
######## Tablet (Cell) Car Stolen No
######## Laptop On Estate Lost Yes
######## Tablet (Cell) On Estate Lost No

Full details and further information can be found here: https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/foi/transparency-publications/hoc-transparency-publications/information-technology/stolen-data/