Security risk as hackers put rap ads on Lords site

SECURITY lapses in an official House of Lords website are being investigated after it was hacked and replaced by adverts for rap star-branded headphones.

Westminster watchers were taken aback this week when a Google search showed messages such as “they offer you the crystal clear highs” instead of the day’s business in the upper chamber.

The unlikely tie-up of peers and US rapper and producer Dr Dre arose after the site run by the government Whips Office was sabotaged and all its content replaced by adverts.

Web experts who developed the site said it had been left vulnerable to attack because officials had for years ignored advice to upgrade it.

London-based developers Minuco also revealed that they had repeatedly advised them to follow government guidelines and have the site hosted by the Cabinet Office to further boost security.

Ben Lynch, a manager at the firm, said: “We have regularly made recommendations to our clients to upgrade and change the site but they have a limited budget. In that time, if your site has not been updated then relatively small issues arise which can be picked up by automatic systems.”

A spokesman for the government Whips’ Office said: “We are aware of the issue and our website provider is working to resolve it.”