Met Police Data Breach

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The Metropolitan Police is currently in the process of investigating a potential data breach that occurred due to unauthorized access to the systems of one of its suppliers.

According to the police force, the supplier had in its possession various sensitive details including names, ranks, photos, vetting levels, and pay numbers of both officers and staff members. The force is actively working to ascertain the extent of the breach and what specific data, if any, has been accessed. 

In response to this incident, the Metropolitan Police has taken additional security measures to prevent further breaches.

The breach has prompted concern and anger among the staff association of the force. 

A representative of the Met mentioned that they are unable to provide precise details about when the breach transpired or the number of individuals impacted. However, they clarified that the supplier did not possess personal information such as addresses, phone numbers, or financial particulars.

The matter has been reported to both the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the information commissioner for appropriate action.

Rick Prior, the vice chair of the Metropolitan Police Federation, which represents over 30,000 officers, emphasized that any compromised information, if misused, could lead to significant harm. He expressed how such a breach could deeply trouble colleagues, given that the personal information of officers who are working diligently to ensure public safety might become public.

Former Met Ch Supt Dal Babu noted that this breach could pose a more pronounced risk for ethnic minority officers due to the distinctiveness of their names. He elaborated that individuals from minority backgrounds might be more easily located online, which could potentially put them in danger, especially if they are involved in sensitive operations.

The NCA is actively engaged in understanding the implications of the cyber incident and is collaborating with other law enforcement entities.

This breach follows closely on the heels of an incident involving the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), where personal information of their entire staff was inadvertently disclosed due to a Freedom of Information (FoI) request. Similarly, Norfolk and Suffolk Police also mistakenly released information pertaining to crime victims and witnesses in response to an FoI request. Additionally, South Yorkshire Police has recently reported a significant loss of data stored in their systems, leading them to notify the information commissioner about the potential impact on ongoing cases.