PNLD Breach Exposes Contact Details of More Than 100,000 UK Police and Justice Professionals
Summary
The Police National Legal Database says a breach exposed names and email addresses of police, justice professionals and Ask the Police users. ExfilSquad claims it stole 135,000 records and demanded a ransom; the NCA is assisting the investigation.
Key points
- PNLD says the breach exposed names, organizations and email addresses of police officers, staff, criminal justice professionals and government partners.
- Names and email addresses of people who submitted questions to PNLD’s Ask the Police service were also affected.
- PNLD confirmed the breach and publication of contact details but has not disclosed how the attackers gained access.
- ExfilSquad claimed it stole 1.9 GB of data, including about 135,000 records, and threatened to release the remaining data unless a ransom was paid.
- The intrusion was detected on Sunday, July 26; cybersecurity experts and the National Crime Agency are assisting the investigation.
- PNLD said it found no evidence that passwords or other security credentials were compromised, and that victim, witness and offender information was not affected.
Article Details
- Victim Organization
- Police National Legal Database (PNLD)
- Incident Type
- Cyberattack and data breach involving a data-extortion threat
- Data Types Exposed
- Full names
- Organizations
- Email addresses
- Affected Records
- PNLD confirmed that contact details of more than 100,000 people were exposed. ExfilSquad claimed it stole approximately 135,000 records: 114,000 PNLD subscribers and 21,000 Ask the Police users.
- Affected Data Size
- ExfilSquad claimed to have stolen 1.9 GB of data.
- Operational Impact
- The incident was detected on July 26, with no year specified, and is under investigation with assistance from cybersecurity experts and the National Crime Agency. PNLD said it found no evidence that passwords or other security credentials were compromised; it said confidential information relating to victims, witnesses, or offenders was not affected.
- Ransom Or Extortion
- ExfilSquad claimed responsibility and demanded a ransom in exchange for not releasing the remaining data. PNLD confirmed the breach and publication of contact details but did not publicly attribute the intrusion.
- Claim Status
- confirmed