The UK Ministry of Justice (MoJ) confirmed that hackers accessed a **large volume of sensitive personal data** from the **Legal Aid Agency’s (LAA) digital services**, potentially exposing records of **millions of applicants** since 2010. Compromised data includes **contact details, national ID numbers, criminal records, employment status, and financial information** (debts, payments, contributions). The breach was detected on **April 23**, but its full scale—spanning **14 years of legal aid applications**—was only realized on **May 16**. The attack forced the LAA to **shut down its online platform**, disrupting legal aid services for vulnerable individuals (e.g., those facing criminal charges, debt, or family disputes). Authorities, including the **NCSC, NCA, and ICO**, are investigating, while affected users are warned of **fraud, identity theft, and phishing risks**. The breach raises concerns over **UK public sector cybersecurity resilience** and potential **regulatory/legal repercussions** for data protection failures.
Source: https://thecyberexpress.com/moj-confirms-legal-aid-data-breach/
The Legal Aid Agency cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/the-legal-aid-agency
"id": "THE4221642112625",
"linkid": "the-legal-aid-agency",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "6/2010",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization’s existence"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': 'Millions (all individuals who '
'applied for legal aid online '
'between 2010–2024)',
'industry': 'Public Sector / Justice',
'location': 'United Kingdom (England and Wales)',
'name': 'UK Ministry of Justice (MoJ)',
'type': 'Government Ministry'},
{'customers_affected': 'Millions (applicants from '
'2010–2024)',
'industry': 'Legal Services',
'location': 'United Kingdom',
'name': 'Legal Aid Agency (LAA)',
'type': 'Government Agency'}],
'customer_advisories': ['Vulnerable individuals (e.g., those with criminal '
'charges, debt, or family disputes) urged to take '
'precautions',
'Direct outreach to affected applicants planned by '
'MoJ/LAA',
'Contingency support for legal aid access during '
'system downtime'],
'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': True,
'number_of_records_exposed': 'Millions (exact number '
'undisclosed; applicants from '
'2010–2024)',
'personally_identifiable_information': ['names',
'contact details',
'addresses',
'dates of birth',
'national ID numbers'],
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High (includes national ID numbers, '
'criminal history, financial details)',
'type_of_data_compromised': ['personally identifiable '
'information (PII)',
'criminal records',
'financial data',
'employment status']},
'date_detected': '2024-04-23',
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2024-05-16',
'description': 'The UK Ministry of Justice (MoJ) confirmed that hackers '
"accessed a 'large amount of information' from the Legal Aid "
'Agency’s (LAA) digital services, potentially exposing '
'sensitive personal data of millions of people who applied for '
'legal aid since 2010. The breach was first identified on '
'April 23, 2024, and escalated significantly, with threat '
'actors accessing and downloading personal data, including '
'contact details, national ID numbers, criminal records, '
'employment status, and financial data. The LAA took its '
'online platform offline to contain the threat, and a '
'multi-agency response involving the NCSC, NCA, and ICO is '
'underway.',
'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'High (loss of trust in government '
'digital services, particularly for '
'vulnerable populations)',
'data_compromised': ['contact details',
'addresses',
'dates of birth',
'national ID numbers',
'criminal history',
'employment status',
'financial data (contribution amounts, debts, '
'payments)'],
'downtime': 'Ongoing (platform taken offline as of disclosure)',
'identity_theft_risk': 'High (exposure of national ID numbers, '
'financial data, and criminal records)',
'legal_liabilities': 'Potential regulatory action (ICO '
'investigation), legal proceedings for data '
'protection violations',
'operational_impact': 'Legal aid providers unable to log work or '
'receive payments via digital platform; '
'contingency plans implemented for manual '
'processing',
'payment_information_risk': 'Moderate (financial data such as '
'debts and payments exposed)',
'systems_affected': ['Legal Aid Agency’s online digital services '
'platform']},
'initial_access_broker': {'high_value_targets': ["Legal aid applicants' PII "
'and financial/criminal '
'records']},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing (multi-agency investigation by NCSC, NCA, '
'ICO)',
'post_incident_analysis': {'corrective_actions': ['Platform taken offline',
'Security bolstered with '
'NCSC assistance',
'Multi-agency review of '
'digital service '
'resilience']},
'ransomware': {'data_exfiltration': True},
'recommendations': ['Enhance cybersecurity resilience for digital public '
'services',
'Implement real-time monitoring for unusual activity',
'Conduct regular third-party audits of government '
'platforms',
'Improve transparency and communication during incidents',
'Provide long-term support for affected vulnerable '
'individuals'],
'references': [{'date_accessed': '2024-05-16',
'source': 'UK Ministry of Justice Public Statement'},
{'date_accessed': '2024-05-16',
'source': 'Legal Aid Agency CEO Jane Harbottle’s Address'},
{'date_accessed': '2024-05',
'source': 'National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) Advisory'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'legal_actions': 'Pending (ICO investigation '
'ongoing)',
'regulations_violated': ['UK GDPR',
'Data Protection Act 2018 '
'(potential)'],
'regulatory_notifications': ['Information '
'Commissioner’s Office '
'(ICO) notified']},
'response': {'communication_strategy': ['Public statements by MoJ and LAA CEO',
'Direct outreach to affected '
'individuals (planned)',
'Urgent advisories for applicants '
'(vigilance, password changes, '
'monitoring)'],
'containment_measures': ['Immediate investigation launched',
'Online platform taken offline',
'Security strengthening'],
'enhanced_monitoring': 'Strengthened security post-detection',
'incident_response_plan_activated': True,
'law_enforcement_notified': True,
'recovery_measures': ['Contingency plans for manual legal aid '
'processing',
'Multi-agency coordination'],
'third_party_assistance': ['National Cyber Security Centre '
'(NCSC)',
'National Crime Agency (NCA)',
'Information Commissioner’s Office '
'(ICO)']},
'stakeholder_advisories': ['Monitor for suspicious activity (emails, calls, '
'messages)',
'Avoid sharing personal details without '
'verification',
'Change passwords for legal aid accounts and '
'linked platforms',
'Check bank accounts and credit reports for fraud'],
'title': 'UK Ministry of Justice Legal Aid Agency Data Breach',
'type': ['data breach', 'cyberattack']}