A cyber-attack has compromised sensitive data held by the Department for Education and the Police National Legal Database, with attackers claiming responsibility and initiating an extortion campaign.
The Department for Education’s help-desk portal was breached, exposing just over 600,000 records containing contact information for parents, staff, government officials, school leaders, and university employees. The stolen data includes full names, email addresses, phone numbers, and job titles. An additional, smaller breach affected the department’s Turing portal, which oversees a student exchange program. The PNLD, which provides legal support to UK police forces, was also targeted, with approximately 135,000 records taken, including names, work email addresses, and organizational affiliations of police officers and criminal justice workers. Some details of members of the public who had contacted the Ask the Police service were also compromised.
A hacking group calling itself ExfilSquad has claimed responsibility for the attacks and posted sample data on a leak website, a common tactic used in ransomware and extortion schemes. The group is demanding unspecified payments from the DfE, PNLD, and approximately 12 other alleged victims, threatening to publish the full dataset if ransom demands are not met. Cybersecurity firm Sophos verified that data samples appeared authentic, though the group’s social media presence was subsequently suspended.
Authorities have begun investigating the breaches. The DfE confirmed that no ransomware was deployed and stated that swift containment measures were implemented. Officials characterized the PNLD breach as lower risk, though concerns remain about password security and potential cross-system vulnerabilities. The DfE and PNLD have reported the incidents to the Information Commissioner’s Office, the UK data protection regulator, as well as the National Cyber Security Centre and National Crime Agency.
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