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Race to update services' computer systems after cyber-security flaw found

Race to update services' computer systems after cyber-security flaw found

Summary

A major cyber-security flaw was found in PHP, a widely-used programming language for websites. Governments and businesses worldwide are urgently updating their systems to fix the problem and prevent possible hacks.

Key Facts

  • PHP is a programming language used to create dynamic web pages and runs behind many websites.
  • Critical security vulnerabilities were discovered in PHP, leading to precautionary system shutdowns.
  • Some UK government services were temporarily offline to apply security updates, but no major public services were affected.
  • No successful hacker attacks have been reported yet, but risks remain for months if not fixed.
  • The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre described the event as large and unusual but confirmed no breaches so far.
  • The government is working with international partners and tech companies like OpenAI to deal with the issue.
  • Businesses, like a car garage in Wales, experienced service disruptions because of the PHP flaws.
  • PHP has been in use since the early 1990s and supports many popular platforms including Wikipedia and WordPress.
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