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Britons warned against ISIL cyber-attacks

Tuesday, 17 November 2015 4:58 PM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 17 November 2015 4:58 PM ]

British Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne.

British Chancellor of the Exchequer has warned against potential deadly cyber-attacks on targets in the UK soil.

"From our banks to our cars, our military to our schools, whatever is online is also a target," George Osborne said.

He warned that ISIL seeks to hack key UK infrastructure in an attempt to kill people.

"The stakes could hardly be higher. If our electricity supply, or our air traffic control, or our hospitals were successfully attacked online, the impact could be measured not just in terms of economic damage but of lives lost…They do not yet have that capability. But we know they want it, and are doing their best to build it," he added.

Osborne made the comments after visiting GCHQ listening station in Cheltenham.

‘Nothing is impossible’

Abzee Alexander, Oxford University student and cyber security expert says despite its robust cyber security, the UK can be prone to cyber attacks.

“Britain has extremely good security software. For instance the MI6 intelligence agency teams up with TiVo from virgin media for the best secure internet connection. So it’s almost impossible to go through British security without MI6 finding out about you. But then again nothing is impossible, there are always ways to overcome a DoS attack or any other forms of cyber attacks. It’s like a game of cat and mouse,” Alexander said in an email interview with Press TV.

‘No immediate response’

Meanwhile a political commentator says Osborne’s warning has nothing to do with improving UK cyber security and is simply aimed at scaring British people.

“This is an attempt to really scare people even further about the consequences of terrorism and the operations of the IS (Daesh). This is not an immediate response…,” Nigel Flanagan told Press TV on Tuesday.

He also said the whole plan “has been designed to scare people” and portray the government as the responsible establishment that is “constantly seeking to protect” the people against terror attacks.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.co.uk

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