Terrorism
London’s history of terrorist attacks spans many decades and combines international, domestic and extremist terrorism. Although many organisations are working to protect us from terrorist attacks, it’s important that we remain vigilant to this threat.
What is being done to prevent a terror attack?
The Home Office, the Security Services (MI5); the police and other agencies are constantly engaged in keeping the UK safe from the threat of terrorism. Much work has been done since the 7 July bombings in London, to further protect London from terrorist attacks:
- the Counter-Terrorism Act (2008) increased police powers for the stated purpose of countering terrorism
- the development of CONTEST, the UK’s counter-terrorism strategy which aims to reduce the risk to the United Kingdom and its interests overseas from terrorism
- planning and resources to effectively manage the response to a Chemical, Biological, Radiological or Nuclear (CBRN) incident, to ensure that fewer lives will be risked or lost in the event of a terrorist or accidental release of harmful materials
- an extensive exercising programme involving both central government departments and emergency services to test the response to potential crises
- tightening of border security to catch terrorists coming into the country
- work to remove financial support for terrorism.
What can I do to help?
The Metropolitan Police Service website has advice on how you can help the police defeat terrorism.
Please remain alert and report any suspicious activity in one of the following ways:
- if your information relates to an imminent threat to life or property contact the police on 999 or the anti-terrorist hotline - 0800 789 321
- if you are aware of a less immediate threat to national security, then contact the Security Service (MI5) online or by calling 0800 111 4645 or 020 7930 9000
Further information
A system of threat levels set by the Security Service (MI5) and the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) represents the likelihood of a terrorist attack in the near future. Find out about the current threat level from terrorism on the Home Office website.
Cyber (electronic) attack
As we become more reliant on technology in our day to day lives, the impact of any accidental or deliberate disruptions to technological systems increases.
These impacts may affect:
- communications
- data security
- transport
- utilities
- emergency services
- banking and industry
- leisure services.
How can I protect my IT systems?
Help keep your IT systems and files safe by following these simple tips:
- be wary of any suspicious looking emails
- stop and think before sending any important information (like bank details) by email
- remember that the ‘from’ field in an email can be faked, so even if a message appears to be from a reliable source, it might still pose a risk
- when you want to visit your bank online, always open a new browser and type in the web address yourself
- never open any email attachment unless you are expecting it and you know what it contains. If you are unsure, contact the sender by email, text, phone or some other method to confirm that what they sent was not a virus
- keep your anti-virus and anti-spyware software up-to-date
- keep back-ups of any important files on a disk or memory stick, so if something does happen to your computer, you still have the essentials
- use strong passwords (containing words, letters and symbols).
