The British government has reduced allegations of security vulnerabilities following reports that Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s mobile phone number has been available on the Internet for 15 years.

In 2006, when he was a member of the Conservative Party and Minister of Higher Education in opposition, the Popby portal dedicated to celebrities announced that Johnson’s phone number had been published in a newspaper report.

Callers to the PM’s number today heard a message from the machine saying the phone was “turned off” and later asked to try or send the message.

“If a lot of people have your phone number, it’s the digital equivalent of being able to avoid the Prime Minister.”

Former National Security Adviser Lord Ricketts says he was surprised to hear that Boris Johnson had not changed his mobile number
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– BBC Politics (@ BBC Politics) April 30, 2021

The government denied the security breach.

Home Secretary Victoria Atkins said the prime minister was aware of his responsibility for national security. The media was criticized for revealing the fact that this number was available to the public.

Peter Ricketts, a former national security adviser, said that if publicly available, the number could be used to alert an enemy country and “possibly other non-state actors like modern criminal gangs.”

Johnson has already come under fire for sharing messages with businesses and lobbies via WhatsApp.

When I corresponded with businessman James Design last year, he advised me not to make a mistake. He promised his company a tax deduction if it agreed to build respirators for the National Health Service.