In Britain, a database containing personal information of British military personnel was breached, allowing hackers access to it, reports the BBC.
The target of the breach was the Ministry of Defence’s payroll system, which includes the names and bank details of both current and some former armed forces members. In a very small number of cases, this data may include personal addresses. It is unknown who is behind the breach and what the data could be used for.
The data pertains to current and former members of the Royal Navy, Army, and Royal Air Force spanning several years. The system was managed by an external contractor, and access to operational data of the UK Ministry of Defence was not obtained.
The Ministry of Defence is currently notifying and providing support and advice to those affected, including informing veteran organizations about the incident.
On Tuesday, Defence Minister Grant Shapps is expected to inform parliamentarians about the cyberattack in the House of Commons. It is anticipated that he will outline a “multi-point plan” in response, which will include actions to protect affected military personnel.
