Police officers at Greater Manchester Police have been contacted about a data breach. The security violation has been caused due to a vulnerability with a third-party supplier. This is the same incident that affects officers at the Met, so other forces may also have been affected.
Indeed, according to GMP the breach “concerns policing organisations on a national scale”.
The security failure involves the IT systems of Digital ID in Stockport, a company which makes warrant cards and identification badges. The company was targeted by cybercriminals in a ransomware attack.
According to an email from GMP the ransomware attack “includes data of personnel at various public sector and other organisations across the UK, including that of GMP and the Metropolitan Police. “The breach may affect GMP officers and staff.
The data compromised in this attack may include:
- Names
- Ranks
- Photos
- Warrant numbers
- Pass numbers
At this time, there is no evidence that financial data or personal addresses have been accessed. However, some of the photos do have geo-location metadata data associated with them. The force claims that this relates to a small number of officers.
KP Law is investigating this incident and has launched a group action claim to help victims from the Metropolitan Police claim compensation for this security incident. We are unable to register officers from other forces at this time.
We have already seen significant interest in this action from affected police officers. Many are experiencing fear, anxiety and stress because of the violation. Some have had existing mental health conditions exacerbated. Not knowing how cybercriminals were able to access their sensitive details, or what they have done with this data, has caused our clients considerable upset – especially given the nature of their jobs.
If you have received notification of your involvement in the Metropolitan Police breach, please register below.