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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Alan Selby

BBC targeted by thieves who snatched more than 100 IT devices over two years

Thieves have stolen 105 BBC devices in the last two years, sparking security fears.

Research from expert firm Griffin Law found laptops, mobiles, tablets, cameras and hard drives were all snatched from Beeb premises.

Over the two-year period, a total of 35 mobile phones were reported stolen, with 19 taken throughout 2019 and 16 taken throughout 2020.

A leading cyber security expert warned confidential data could have fallen into the wrong hands as a result.

Edward Blake, Area Vice President of Absolute Software UK and Ireland, said empty offices during the pandemic were a goldmine for criminals.

He said: “One of the biggest challenges facing organisations during the Covid-19 pandemic has been successfully securing and managing key devices like laptops from loss, theft and rising cyber risks.

"You can’t protect, what you cannot see. With so many people either working remotely or on the move, large organisations like the BBC will inevitably see devices go missing, some of which will contain confidential data.

"With many businesses now requiring their employees to work from home, corporations can no longer be solely reliant on network-based security; they need to increase their focus on securing the actual endpoint devices.

"This means ensuring they have an unbreakable digital tether to all devices, capable of delivering complete visibility and control, enabling real-time insights into the state of those devices, and allowing them to self-heal security controls and productivity tools.”

A total 36 individual microphones were also swiped across the two financial years, including 10 taken in 2019 and 26 taken in 2020.

In 2019, the number of Laptops and MacBooks reported stolen was 11 and in 2020, that number decreased to six.

Additionally, two tablet computers were reported stolen in 2020.

Other items nicked from BBC offices included four hard drives, one camcorder and one Amazon Firestick. 

A BBC spokesperson said: “The BBC takes incidents of crime seriously and we are constantly implementing and reviewing measures to reduce crime and recover lost and stolen items.”

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