The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has fallen victim to a significant data breach, with the personal details of UK military personnel being compromised.
An external attack targeted a third-party payroll system used by the MoD, exposing the names and bank details of both current and former members of the armed forces. Additionally, a small number of addresses may have been accessed during the breach.
Upon discovery of the attack, immediate action was taken by the department, leading to the shutdown of the external network operated by a contractor.
Initial investigations have not revealed any evidence of data being removed, as reported by BBC and Sky. However, to address concerns, Defence Secretary Grant Shapps is expected to make a statement to Members of Parliament (MPs) in the Commons on Tuesday.
While attributing the breach to hostile actors, ministers have refrained from naming the specific country responsible.
Affected service personnel are being notified as a precautionary measure and offered specialist advice. They will also have access to a personal data protection service to monitor any unauthorized use of their information.
Despite the breach, all salaries were processed as scheduled during the last payday, with no anticipated issues for the upcoming payment cycle at the end of the month, albeit minor delays may occur for expense reimbursements in a limited number of cases.
Shadow Defence Secretary John Healey expressed serious concerns, particularly on behalf of forces personnel affected by the breach, condemning such hostile actions as unacceptable.
The MoD has been actively assessing the scale and impact of the breach since its discovery several days ago. This incident comes in the wake of joint accusations by the UK and US against China for engaging in a global campaign of malicious cyber-attacks.
While Beijing has denied involvement and rejected politicizing the issue, some UK lawmakers have called for a stronger stance against China, labeling it a systemic threat to national security. Former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith urged the government to acknowledge China's role as a malign actor supporting other authoritarian regimes.
In response, the MoD announced a comprehensive plan to support and protect affected personnel, with the defence secretary set to outline the details in his statement to the House of Commons later today.
Meanwhile, the Chinese foreign ministry has reiterated its opposition to all forms of cyber-attacks and denounced attempts to exploit the issue for political purposes.
