Sensitive UK police data vulnerable to ‘compromise’ by US government and foreign actors
Almost every UK police force now depends on Microsoft Azure, and the UK government spends at least £1.9bn on Microsoft software each year.“There’s no evidence that this has been properly understood,” said one source who has held senior roles in UK policing. The data is “some of the most sensitive that exists”, he added. Photograph: Jamie SmithThat meeting considered both the police’s use of Microsoft’s software, such as Office 365, and the reliance on the cloud that underpins these services, Azure.
- ▪Almost every UK police force now depends on Microsoft Azure, and the UK government spends at least £1.9bn on Microsoft software each year.“There’s no evidence that this has been properly understood,” said one source who has held senior role
- ▪The data is “some of the most sensitive that exists”, he added.
- ▪Photograph: Jamie SmithThat meeting considered both the police’s use of Microsoft’s software, such as Office 365, and the reliance on the cloud that underpins these services, Azure.
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| Original publisher | The Guardian — UK |
| Canonical URL | https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/sep/18/sensitive-uk-police-data-vulnerable-to-compromise-by-us-government-and-foreign-actors |
| Publication time | Fri, 18 Sep 2026 17:00:23 GMT |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-18T17:08:45.438Z |
| Last seen | 2026-09-18T17:08:45.438Z |
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Illustration: Guardian Design/GettyView image in fullscreen Illustration: Guardian Design/GettyPoliceSensitive UK police data vulnerable to ‘compromise’ by US government and foreign actorsExclusive: Official UK security assessment found Microsoft cloud platform storing files was at potential risk from hostile hackersAisha DownFri 18 Sep 2026 13.00 EDTLast modified on Fri 18 Sep 2026 13.01 EDTSharePrefer the Guardian on GoogleVast troves of highly sensitive police data are lying on Microsoft cloud platforms which an official UK security assessment deemed as being vulnerable to “compromise” by foreign actors and the US government, a Guardian investigation can reveal.The files include criminal records, victim statements, internal emails and sensitive information held by more than 40 police…
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