Personal data of legal aid applicants stolen from the Legal Aid Agency

The United Kingdom government has leaked a ‘significant amount of personal data’ of legal aid applicants, as well as crime suspects and others seeking help with legal matters.

In a joint statement, the Ministry of Justice and the Legal Aid Agency state that they became aware of a cyberattack in the Legal Aid Agency’s online digital services on Wednesday, April 23.

A few weeks later, on Friday, May 16, the entities realized that the scope of the incident was bigger than they originally understood. The group responsible for the breach had stolen data dating all the way back to 2010.

According to the Legal Aid Agency and the Ministry of Justice, the attackers were able to lay their hands on contact details and addresses of applicants, their dates of birth, national ID numbers, criminal history, employment status, and financial data such as contribution amounts, debts, and payments.

As soon as the data breach came to light, the organizations took immediate action to beef up the security of the Legal Aid Agency’s online system. All legal aid providers and affected customers have been informed about the data breach. The Legal Aid Agency’s online digital services, which are used by legal aid providers to log their work and get paid by the government, have been taken offline temporarily.

The agencies have been working closely with the National Crime Agency (NCA), National Cyber Security Centre, (NCSC), and the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Jane Harbottle, Chief Executive Officer of the Legal Aid Agency, urges all victims to be extra vigilant for any scamming attempts. In addition, she wants to reassure people that the Legal Aid Agency has taken additional security measures to safeguard its service and users.

“We have put in place the necessary contingency plans to ensure those most in need of legal support and advice can continue to access the help they need during this time. I am incredibly grateful to legal aid providers for their patience and cooperation at a deeply challenging time,” Harbottle says.

It remains unclear who’s responsible for the data breach at the Legal Aid Agency.