NCSC reveals Budget forecasts accessed almost 25,000 times before publication

"A report by the National Cyber Security Centre found that documents prepared by the Office for Budget Responsibility were downloaded on "at least" 24,701 occasions in the hour before Rachel Reeves delivered her Budget speech on 26 November. The figure is far higher than the 43 downloads cited in an initial internal review. The NCSC said the first full download of the OBR's forecasts occurred shortly after 11.35am on Budget day,"

"According to the report, links to the documents then spread rapidly on social media, leading to tens of thousands of downloads. Within 30 minutes, there were 20,547 successful downloads from more than 10,000 unique IP addresses. The investigation also revealed that Ms Reeves's Spring Statement last March had been accessed 16 times before the speech was delivered, contradicting earlier claims that there had been no prior access."

"The leak prompted the resignation of Richard Hughes, who stepped down as OBR chairman after the organisation described the incident as the most serious failure in its 15-year history. The premature release of the forecasts confirmed several Budget measures ahead of the speech, including changes affecting middle-income homeowners and an extension of stealth tax measures. The disclosure is understood to have caused significant disruption in the final moments before the Chancellor delivered her address."

The National Cyber Security Centre found that Office for Budget Responsibility forecasts were downloaded at least 24,701 times in the hour before the Budget speech, far exceeding initial figures. The first full download occurred shortly after 11:35am, following many failed attempts, and links to the documents spread rapidly on social media. Within 30 minutes, over 20,500 successful downloads came from more than 10,000 unique IP addresses. The probe also found prior unauthorized access to the Spring Statement. The breach led to the OBR chairman's resignation and confirmed several Budget measures prematurely, disrupting final preparations.

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