A major data breach has affected the Ministry of Defense, leading to the hacking of personal information belonging to British military personnel.
The breach targeted a third-party payroll system utilized by the Department of Defense, which contains names and bank account details of current and former military members. There is a possibility that a small number of addresses were also accessed.
Immediate action was taken by the department to shut down the external network operated by the contractor in response to the attack.
Initial investigations from the BBC and Sky revealed no evidence of data deletion. The issue will be debated in the House of Commons on Tuesday, with Defense Secretary Grant Shapps expected to provide a statement.
Ministers will denounce hostile and malicious actors without disclosing the country responsible for the hack.
Affected service personnel will be informed and offered expert guidance as a precautionary measure. Privacy Services can be used to monitor the use of personal information.
Salaries were paid on the previous payday, and there should be no issues with the upcoming paycheck at the end of this month. However, there may be slight delays in expense payments in some cases.
Shadow Defense Secretary John Healy criticized the breach, stating that such hostile actions are unacceptable.
The Ministry of Defense discovered the attack recently and is still assessing its extent and impact. In March, Britain and the United States accused China of a global cyber attack campaign.
China was accused of an online reconnaissance campaign targeting the Electoral Commission watchdog and the email accounts of MPs in 2021. Sanctions were imposed on entities linked to Beijing in response to the hack.
Some Congress members targeted by China feel that the response is inadequate, viewing China as a threat to national security. Former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith echoed this sentiment, calling for a reassessment of the UK’s stance on China.
The Guardian has reached out to the Ministry of Defense for further comment.
Source: www.theguardian.com
