- More than a hundred thousand police officers from the UK experienced a data breach, as hackers published their confidential information on the dark web.
- The cybercriminal group ExfilSquad is believed to be behind the incident, which also exposed information of the Ministry of Defense, Home Office, NCA, and CPS.
- The breach has raised serious safety concerns for officers, with one affected officer stating the leak exposes officers to serious risk.
Cybercriminals have released the personal information of more than 100,000 police personnel in the UK on a dark web platform.
The hacking incident targeted the Police National Legal Database (PNLD), a system that helps police forces in providing legal advice throughout England and Wales. The exposed data includes full names, contact details, and force locations of police officers and staff.
The breach also compromised information from some government agencies, such as the Ministry of Defense, the Home Office, the National Crime Agency, and the Crown Prosecution Service.
A cybercriminal group, called ExfilSquad, is believed to be responsible for the attack. One affected officer said the leak puts officers at serious risk.
What Data was Exposed and Who is Affected
The hack exposed the personal details of approximately 114,000 PNLD subscribers, with serving police officers making up the overwhelming majority of those affected. Police sources revealed that the breach exposed the data of around 114,000 PNLD users.
The breach also released the complete names and contact details of thousands of staff from other government agencies. These include 2,615 CPS personnel, 588 NCA personnel, 617 Home Office staff, and 402 Ministry of Defense workers.
In addition, the hackers exposed 21,000 email contacts of members of the public who utilized the Ask the Police site. The PNLD confirmed the exposure of some names and email addresses of people who submitted questions through Ask the Police. According to UK authorities, this can aid phishing attacks against named officers to appear more convincing.
PNLD mentioned that no proof is available regarding the compromise of passwords or other security credentials. Also, the database has no use in crime recording systems and does not contain any information that is private and confidential about witnesses, victims, or offenders.
The Hackers Behind the Attack
The cybercriminal group ExfilSquad is believed to be responsible for the attack – the group claimed to have stolen 135,000 law enforcement contact records. These included first and last names, email addresses, and police force areas.
ExfilSquad also claimed responsibility for a separate breach. That breach targeted the Department for Education just days earlier, and exposed more than 500,000 records.
Security company Sophos has verified the data samples published by ExfilSquad. The firm believes the information may be genuine, however, it remains unclear how the hackers gained access. The PNLD systems remain under investigation.
The group posted a threatening message online. It warned that leaked data never leaves the public eye. The message said the data spreads across the internet forever. The group claimed their payment request is a rounding error. They compared it to the litigation costs of a data leak. The message urged victims to be smart and just pay.
Concerns for Officer Safety
The leak has raised serious concerns about police officer safety. One affected officer worked in serious organized crime. He helped put high-level criminals behind bars. The dark web cases he likely worked on include major drug operations that have recently sent UK criminals to prison for decades. He said the leak is very disconcerting. He believes it puts officers at serious risk.
The officer previously moved into safe houses. He also sold cars due to his job. He now worries about his online safety. Also he will watch for anyone seeking more information. He said the situation does not look good.
Tiff Lynch chairs the Police Federation. She said the breach raises serious safety concerns, adding that cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated. Also she urged proper funding for policing and partners. She wants the most robust available cybersecurity protections in place.
Official Responses and Investigation
According to a government representative, they can make any statement regarding the ongoing investigation. The representative pointed out that the UK has special resources to handle cyber incidents. The NCA confirmed the exposure of limited information about police officers. Notably, the agency knows about the posting available on the dark web.
The CPS representative indicated that the agency is aware of the occurrence. The CPS is collaborating with partners to measure the extent of the incident. The agency is also supporting affected staff.
The PNLD noted that it has contacted all impacted organizations. In addition, it offered more details on the leak and guidance to them. The PNLD also notified the office of the Information Commissioner. It is working with the National Crime Agency on the investigation, with assistance from some Specialist cybersecurity organizations.
