Royal Family overhaul cybersecurity amid growing threat from Russian hackers

Buckingham Palace says it has more than doubled its taxpayer-funded cybersecurity spending over concerns that Russian hackers are targeting the Royal Family. In this year’s Sovereign Grant review, the palace increased digital services spending from £2.4 million in 2016-17 to £5.6 million in 2025-26, a real-terms rise of £1.8 million, to replace “ageing” computer systems. The report cites a cyberattack on royal.uk in October 2023 that took the site offline for about 90 minutes, with KillNet claiming responsibility. It also points to NHS-related data breach impacts and Russian disinformation claims in 2024, including allegations about King Charles selling Highgrove House.