Census data hack claim was hoax, says government

The UK's census data has not been hacked, the Office of National Statistics has said.

An anonymous statement had appeared on Tuesday, purporting to come from the hacker group LulzSec and claiming the data from the 2011 census had been hacked and stolen, and would be leaked online. However, at the time LulzSec was quick to say it had nothing to do with the message.

On Thursday, the department responsible for the census data confirmed that "personal census information is secure and an allegation that it had been hacked is without foundation".

"I can reassure the public that their census records are secure," census director Glen Watson said in a statement. "We have strict measures in place protecting the nation's census information. The claim that hackers got in looks like a hoax and our investigation concluded that there is no sign of any suspicious activity. The alleged hackers have also denied any involvement."

Watson added that the Office of National Statistics (ONS) is "not complacent and will remain vigilant", and the security and confidentiality of census data remains its top priority.