More than 3,000 passwords belonging to civil servants have been exposed online since the beginning of 2024 , according to new research, as experts warn it could pose a “serious risk” to national security.

A report by NordPass, using the threat exposure management platform NordStellar, found 3,014 passwords belonging to British civil servants have been leaked in the deep web – which encompasses parts of the internet that are not typically indexed by search engines– and the dark web, a small, encrypted part of the deep web that requires specific software to access and is often associated with cybercrime.

Four local authorities were named in the report as having passwords exposed online: Aberdeen City Council had 538 in total, while Lancashire County Council had 38, Newham Coun

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