Buckingham Palace has been forced to make major upgrades to its cybersecurity and IT systems after admitting its ‘ageing’ computer systems need a revamp, amid a growing Russian cyber threat
Russian hackers have pushed Buckingham Palace into implementing major upgrades amid an escalating threat from Moscow.
Extensive improvements to the Palace’s cybersecurity and IT systems have been given the green light after officials from the King’s household acknowledged its ‘ageing’ computer systems require an overhaul, reports The i.
The decision comes as tensions between the UK and Russia intensify, with the US cautioning on Wednesday (September 2) that a ‘limited’ attack from Russia on NATO countries was more likely to occur sooner than the previous projection of 10 to 15 years.
However, Russia appears to now be operating in the ‘grey zone’ of warfare, launching a drone strike on a Ukrainian aircraft stationed at Leipzig Airport in Germany. Russia has also previously targeted the Royal Family website, successfully taking it offline for approximately an hour and a half in October 2023.
It’s against this backdrop that Palace officials have chosen to allocate a portion of the annual Sovereign Grant towards upgrading cybersecurity at Buckingham Palace.
“The new level of the grant will ensure that the Royal Household can continue to deal with property maintenance backlogs following some years of constrained funding during the pandemic,” Treasury minister Dan Tomlinson said.
“It will also allow the Royal Household to replace ageing systems to strengthen cybersecurity and to install energy-efficient heating systems.”
The £99.9 million annual Sovereign Grant is the settlement handed to the Royals by the government, bankrolled by the taxpayer. Last year, it was worth £137m.
The ‘core element’ of the grant will climb from £72m in 2026 to £99m in 2027 as King Charles and Queen Camilla undertake hundreds of engagements every year, and 100 more than the late Queen Elizabeth II managed in the final years of her reign.
Mr Tomlinson added: “That reflects this bottom-up assessment that has taken place, looking across the needs of the Royal Household and making sure that it is being funded adequately for the work, for the public duties that His Royal Highness the King and the royal family carry out.
“And it is worth pointing out, of course, that those activities have increased significantly in recent years.
“Towards the end of her reign, the late Queen was not carrying out a large number of foreign engagements, and also was hosting a smaller number of state visits.
“The King has increased the engagements that he is carrying out on our behalf as part of his public duties, and that has involved more expenditure in terms of staff costs and making sure that those engagements and the benefits that in terms of the representation of our country and supporting good causes here in the UK can get the funding and the support that they need.”
The overall grant will drop from 2027, as funding for the renovation of Buckingham Palace is stripped away as work is completed.
Buckingham Palace was approached for comment on this story.