𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Britain’s world-famous museums and galleries are at risk of cyberattack and theft, according to a scathing report published today. A cross-party group of MPs is sounding the alarm at the threat to the nation’s treasure houses.

The investigation by the public accounts committee comes in the wake of high-profile scandals. The British Library was hit with a cyber-attack in 2023 which put its website out of action for nearly a month, with the Rhysida ransomware group claiming to be behind the hack. In the same year the British Museum announced that treasures spanning the centuries were “stolen, missing or damaged”.

These ranged from gold rings to classical Greek and Roman gems and the scandal has raised concerns about the security of priceless items across the country.

There is further alarm after visitor numbers for galleries and museums in 2024-25 were 13% lower in 2024–25 than before the pandemic

The Government was blasted for taking a “reactive” rather than “strategic” approach to tackling the threats confronting museums and galleries. It was criticised for failing to provide “concrete” examples of action taken to address the risks in the wake of the incidents at the British Library and British Museum.

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, who chairs the committee, said: “Our museums and galleries are a treasured part of the fabric of our nation. The role they play in educating our people, preserving our shared history and showcasing our country to the world is quite simply priceless.

“However, they are being let down by a lack of leadership from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport, which appears to have taken an almost hands-off approach to the challenges they face.

“Cyber-attacks, the theft of items from collections, and a fall in the number of visitors are just some of the issues museums and galleries are fighting to overcome.”

The report raises the prospect of international visitors facing charges to visit cultural institutions.

It states: “We asked the department if it was considering charging visitors to museums and galleries. It told us that, while no decisions have been taken, it planned to look at the possibility of charging international visitors and that this was something it planned to explore with the museums and galleries themselves.”

A Government spokesperson said: “[We maintain] a close working relationship with our national museums and galleries on individual and collective issues, to ensure that they continue to provide value for money for the taxpayer.
“We are taking a number of concrete steps to strengthen our oversight following the National Audit Office report into financial resilience across our national museums. We will consider the Public Accounts Committee’s recommendations and respond in due course.”