Tory party faces huge £2m data breach fine after app glitch exposes senior MPs’ contact details and even replaces profile pics with PORN
THE Conservative party could be fined up to £2million after a problem with its mobile phone app exposed the personal details of MPs and attendees.
Party workers were scrambling to prevent hackers from logging into the CPC 2018 app without a password using only members' email address and access the phone numbers of people such as Boris Johnson.
Concerns about the potential security implications for Cabinet ministers have been raised, as mobile numbers can be used to track the whereabouts of associated telephones.
The party's conference app, which can be downloaded by anyone, contains details such as private phone numbers that were used during the registration process.
Until the data breach was highlighted anyone could impersonate a high-ranking MP and gain access to their personal information.
Trolls later changed former Foreign Secretary Johnson’s profile picture to a hardcore pornographic picture and edited his title to say “d**k head”, according to reports.
His position was edited to “HARD BORDER" referring to the divisive border issue between EU member the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Pranksters were also able to ring the phones of senior MPs including minister Michael Gove, Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt and Home Secretary Sajid Javid.
Mischievous hackers were also able to leave messages as party members on the internal messaging system.
The embarrassing blunder was revealed today, ahead of the party conference in Birmingham tomorrow, but has since been fixed by app makers Crowd Comms.
Andrew Bridgen, the MP for North West Leicestershire, said: “This is a serious lapse. A data breach of this kind has made Cabinet ministers’ details available to hackers and there are wider implications for security.
Guardian Columnist Dawn Foster, one of the first people to spot the flaw, wrote: "FFS, the Tory conference app allows you to log in as other people and view their contact details just with their email address, no emailed security links, and post comments as them.
"They've essentially made every journalist, politician and attendee's mobile number public. Fantastic."
Debates over Brexit are expected to dominate the summit with Johnson set to draw a big crowd for his “Chuck Chequers” rally.
On the eve of the party conference, the ex-Foreign Secretary said the current backstop arrangement over Ireland should be axed.
Prime Minister Theresa May will give her keynote address on the final day of the event.
The Sun Online has approached the Conservative Party for comment.
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