UK tells public to keep 3 days' emergency supplies at home following PHP software glitch

On Friday, the UK government urged citizens to stockpile three days' worth of emergency supplies at home due to the recent PHP software glitch and a record-breaking summer of heat, drought, and wildfires. Globally, governments and businesses have scrambled to secure their systems running the PHP programming language after vulnerabilities were disclosed earlier in the week, resulting in widespread internet outages and a surge in hacking attempts.

The British government emphasized the significance of its "Be Ready" campaign, which recommends keeping bottled water and non-perishable food in the house for such emergencies. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, during a meeting on wildfire response, acknowledged that Britain had historically been reactive to emergencies and needed to be more proactive.

The government unveiled a new wildfire response plan, which includes the deployment of military aircraft. Defence Secretary Wes Streeting warned that cyber incidents like the PHP outage would become increasingly common as artificial intelligence made it easier to exploit traditional defenses. He also highlighted the risks posed by hostile states, organized criminals, and climate change, stating that the UK now faces a greater level of threat than it has in his lifetime.

The UK's guidance aligns with that of the European Commission, which advised EU citizens last year to keep a 72-hour emergency kit containing food, water, cash, and power banks.