A new Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report has warned that the Department  Department for Culture, Media and Sport is not doing enough to ensure museums and galleries learn from recent threats to the physical security of their collections and their cyber security.

The report states that museums and galleries face significant challenges, as evidenced by the October 2023 cyber-attack at the British Library and the thefts reported in 2023 at the British Museum.

While it is primarily up to museums and galleries and their trustees to address their physical and cyber security, the Department has an important role in capturing lessons from such events and sharing these across the sector.

Although the Department could not provide the committee with specific examples of actions taken, a number of possible controls could be put in place, including the use of digital technology to endure proper record keeping which could help prevent items going missing without people knowing while also increasing access to collections.

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Chair of the Public Accounts 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."