Legal aid data breach affects UK applicants
Victims advised to change passwords and stay alert to unusual contacts
The UK Ministry of Justice has confirmed a serious cyber-attack on its Legal Aid Agency, first detected on 23 April and revealed to be more extensive on 16 May. Investigators found that a wide range of personal details belonging to applicants dating back to 2010 were accessed.
The breach has prompted urgent security reviews and cooperation with the National Cyber Security Centre. Stolen information may include names, addresses, dates of birth, national ID numbers, criminal histories, employment records and financial data such as debts and contributions.
While the total number of affected individuals remains unconfirmed, publicly available figures suggest hundreds of thousands of applications across the last year alone. Victims have been urged to monitor for suspicious communications and to change passwords promptly.
UK Legal aid services have been taken offline as contingency measures are put in place to maintain support for vulnerable users. Jane Harbottle, CEO of the Legal Aid Agency, expressed regret over the incident and reassured applicants that efforts are underway to restore secure access.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!