A cyber attack on the UK’s legal aid systems in April was able to extract a “large amount of information” relating to applicants including criminal records.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) believes the group accessed and downloaded a significant amount of personal data from those who have applied for legal aid through the government’s digital service since 2010.
The breach is particularly concerning given the sensitive nature of the data leaked.
It was originally detected on 23 April, following which the service took steps to bolster its security. But on Friday it discovered the attack was more extensive than originally understood.
The data may have included contact details and addresses of applicants, their dates of birth, national ID numbers, criminal history, employment status and financial data such as contribution amounts, debts and payments. The group that carried out the attack has claimed it accessed 2.1 million pieces of data in total, the PA news agency has reported.
The MoJ has...