The force has said there was nothing to suggest at the time that the messages were part of a wider pattern The Metropolitan police first had reports of unsolicited messages targeting a number of MPs, staff and journalists in Westminster last year, but officers failed to notify politicians. After the former Conservative MP William Wragg said he was manipulated into giving the personal phone numbers of colleagues to a man he met on a dating app, Scotland Yard said it was working with other police forces, alongside its own investigation, amid concerns many other MPs could have been targeted ..read more

Tory MP resigns committee roles after apology for role in parliamentary sexting scandal The Conservative MP who divulged colleagues’ personal phone numbers to someone he met on a dating app as part of a parliamentary sexting scandal has stepped down from two Commons roles, it has been reported. William Wragg has resigned as chair of the Commons’ public administration and constitutional affairs committee and also quit his post as the vice-chair of the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers after admitting to giving the information to a man he met, according to reports ..read more

Evans says he was first to alert authorities after receiving messages in what is suspected to be part of wider attempt to target MPs A Conservative MP has revealed that he was targeted in the Westminster sexting scandal and was the MP that first alerted the authorities. Luke Evans said he was messaged in what is suspected to be part of a wider attempt to target MPs ..read more

The ‘senior Tory’ has issued a self-flagellating apology, but we should see him as a child of this political age Where to start with Westminster’s latest scandal, which – without wishing to speculate on spoilers – I suggest you formally label as “developing”? Blowing his own cover in it is William Wragg, MP for Hazel Grove in Greater Manchester, and chair of the public administration and constitutional affairs committee. Aged 36, William is described as a “senior Tory” on the basis of something or other – possibly his predilection for calling for other politicians to resign on moral grounds. M ..read more

William Wragg says he was pressed for colleagues’ details after sharing compromising photos of himself A senior Conservative MP has reportedly admitted to giving out the personal phone numbers of colleagues to a person he met on a dating app. William Wragg told the Times that he gave the information after he had sent intimate pictures of himself, saying he was “scared” and “mortified ..read more

At least a dozen people sent suspicious messages, with senior figures suggesting foreign state could be culprit A police investigation has been launched after MPs were apparently targeted in a “spear-phishing” attack, in what security experts believe could be an attempt to compromise parliament. A police force said it had started an inquiry after receiving a complaint from an MP who was sent a number of unsolicited messages last month ..read more

Victims of Pegasus hacking will be notified and criminal proceedings could be brought against former officials Poland has launched an investigation into its previous government’s use of the controversial spyware Pegasus, with a parliamentary inquiry under way and the possibility of criminal charges being brought against former government officials in future. Adam Bodnar, Poland’s new justice minister, told the Guardian that in coming months the government would notify people who were targeted with Pegasus. Under Polish law, they would then have the possibility of seeking financial compensation ..read more

Datacentres are part of Ireland’s vision of itself as a tech hub. There are now more than 80, using vast amounts of electricity. Have we entrusted our memories to a system that might destroy them? By Jessica Traynor ..read more

Exclusive: £10m needed for regulator charged with developing tools to thwart financial crime and protect consumers Banks are under pressure to stump up millions of pounds in interim funding for the organisation that polices open banking, with regulators saying the new money is needed to prevent financial crime and protect consumers if things “go wrong”. Large banks including NatWest, HSBC, Lloyds and Santander UK were among more than 40 City firms summoned by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) last week to discuss a cash injection into Open Banking Limited (OPL), the body that oversees inno ..read more

LockBit was a sophisticated criminal operation, offering the tools needed to steal a company’s data and hold it to ransom. Then it was itself hacked. Alex Hern reports A ransomware site on the dark web has allowed criminals to extort hospitals, businesses and schools for years. By encrypting data or threatening to post data online, hackers have cost companies millions of pounds. It’s called LockBit, and it was very successful until one day last month when hackers who logged on to the site found it had been hacked by authorities including the UK National Crime Agency and the FBI. These agencies ..read more