The personal data of over a hundred thousand UK Citizens has been downloaded by dangerous cybercriminals as part of a cyber attack on legal aid consumers.
The data breach affects all people who applied for legal aid dating back to 2010.
Potentially the most concerning for those affected, the data contains both financial details and criminal records. It also covers comprehensive personal details like full names, contact details, addresses, date of birth and national insurance numbers.
The hackers claim they have been able to download over 2.1 million pieces of data.
“The legal sector is built on trust, and clients expect that the personal information they share will remain safe. Therefore, when data is stolen, it is hugely damaging. The sector is attractive to cybercriminals because it holds large volumes of highly sensitive and confidential client data.” Max Vetter, VP of Cyber at Immersive told EM360Tech.
What Is Legal Aid?
Legal Aid, known by its official title The Legal Aid Agency or LAA, is an executive agency that is sponsored by the Ministry of Justice.
Its main function is to administer legal aid, this is government funding that helps those that meet their eligibility criteria to access legal services at reduced rates. The service covers those in need across England and Wales.
What To Do If You're Impacted By Legal Aid Cyber Attack?
The Ministry of Justice have urged that anyone who has applied for legal aid in the last 15 years to update any passwords that could have been exposed.
This is just a first step however, be sure to enable multi-factor authentication on as many accounts as possible, especially social media accounts as well as banking and email.
Be aware that your information being compromised can make you a target for social engineering and phishing scams. These scams involve impersonating trusted organizations or individuals using information they already have about you as a result of the leak to convince you to hand over money or further details. Be skeptical of anyone asking you for information.
“For now, Legal is working quickly to alert consumers who are affected. Clear and actionable communications are essential after a breach, and customers will want strong assurances about the impact on their personal data and the steps they can take to protect themselves from any potential fallout.
The data will most likely be leveraged by cybercriminals to extort money from Legal Aid, as well as for identity theft and phishing campaigns. This data is so sensitive it may also be used to directly extort the persons affected. Anyone who has used Legal Aid in the past should remain vigilant for any unsolicited communications." Max Vetter, VP of Cyber at Immersive told EM360Tech.
Keep a close eye on your bank and credit card statements for any unusual activity and report any suspicious transactions immediately and consider freezing your cards and credit.
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