Over 20,000 personal details of police officers, including their names and photos, have been put in jeopardy following a cyber attack on a firm in Stockport – known for creating ID cards for the Greater Manchester Police (GMP). The incident, which is considered as a detrimental ransomware attack, was unleashed last month.
Lee Rawlinson, the GMP’s Chief Resource Officer, conveyed the severity of the situation during a public meeting, calling it a “very serious event”. He further revealed that multiple law enforcement agencies and government departments have been hit by the same misfortune.
Currently, an ongoing investigation is taking place at Digital ID, the company that experienced the data breach. Digital ID holds an array of information from diverse UK entities.
During a discussion with a police, fire, and crime panel, Mr. Rawlinson described the disclosed information as “relatively low-risk” despite its deemed importance. He clarified, “It doesn’t have financial details or specific details, but indeed, it involves some officers’ names and, in certain circumstances, photo identification. Given the sensitive nature of the data, we’re treating it as a very serious event.”
There is still considerable uncertainty about the full extent of the compromised data as the investigations continue. It appears that the data breach also bedeviled other establishments, among them the Metropolitan Police in London.
By viewing it as “part of a broader national panorama”, Mr. Rawlinson insinuated that numerous other police forces and government departments across the UK were also swept up in the attack.
The chief resource officer added that “around 20,000 plus” details are potentially at risk. However, he further stated, “I say potentially, we are yet to receive comprehensive details of what was really compromised from the attacked company.”
The concerned authorities made it a priority to reach out to the Information Commissioner about the mishap. GMP, while yet to confirm the number of affected officers, has begun notifying staff about the incident.
Last week, details about the data breach were relayed to roughly 12,000 police officers and civilian staff in an internal email. The notification alluded to Digital ID as being the epicenter of the breach.
Digital ID, the turmoil-ridden Stockport based company, has yet to comment on the matter.
