Hack of Boris Johnson exposes private files, candid views on Putin

Hackers leaked over 2,000 files from former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s office, exposing intimate details from his 2019-2022 tenure including daily diaries, handwritten notebooks, travel documents, and personal account credentials. The breach revealed Johnson’s passport and visa information, security arrangements for international visits, speaking fees including $350,000 from a UAE clean energy company, and previously unreported documents from the COVID-19 public inquiry related to the “Partygate” scandal. Cybersecurity experts describe the leak as a “devastating compromise” of a world leader’s sensitive information, with former U.K. cyber official Rob Pritchard suggesting it could be tied to a foreign influence operation, noting that ex-prime ministers remain “high-priority targets.” The files also contained emails discussing Johnson’s post-office endeavors including a reality TV show pitch, notebook entries about pandemic decisions and G7 summit discussions with world leaders, and a June 2024 email from the U.K.’s National Security Secretariat requesting an in-person meeting about “a sensitive security issue” nearly two years after Johnson left office.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​