The Mail on Saturday can confirm that Russian hackers stole confidential information belonging to some members of Britain’s police force in an embarrassing security breach.
The cyber-criminal gang Clop has released some of the material it plundered from an IT firm that handles access to the police national computer (PNC) on the so-called ‘dark web’ – with the threat of more to follow.
Clop, a hacker, is suspected to have asked for a ransom payment from Dacoll after it launched a “phishing” attack in October. This gave Clop access to information, including the PNC’s records that hold the personal data of 13,000,000 people.
It is unclear what additional – and potentially more sensitive – information Clop might release on the dark web, where it could be scooped up by fraudsters (file photo used)
Dacoll was unable to pay so the hackers uploaded hundreds more files to the dark internet, an area of the web that is only accessible by a specific web browser.
The ransom amount demanded by the company was not disclosed.
Clop may have used images from national Automatic Number Plate Recognition system (ANPR), to create the files.
Photographs include close-up images showing drivers caught speeding.
It is unclear what additional – and potentially more sensitive – information Clop might release on the dark web, where it could be scooped up by fraudsters.
Clop is a ransomware group that sends out phishing emails (pictured as a file photograph) to employees. These email appear legitimate but in fact contain a sophisticated virus.
Philip Ingram (a national security specialist and ex-colonel in British military Intelligence) said, “This is an extremely grave breach of a firm providing a capacity to police forces across Britain.
“The data breach that caused this data loss is so devastating, it calls into question all the security arrangements between public and private organizations to protect sensitive data.
Dacoll is a West Lothian-based electrical contractor who was previously a home appliance repairman before joining the RAF National Service.
The company has been a UK-wide provider of IT solutions since the age of 88. It employs 160 people.
NDI Technologies is a subsidiary of Dacoll that provides a ‘critical service’ for 90% of UK police forces. It gives officers remote access the PNC.
Another Dacoll-based firm, NDI Recognition Systems offers IT support for the ANPR Systems used by police officers, Highways England, and DVLA.
The National Cyber Security Centre spokeswoman said that they were aware of the incident and are working closely with law enforcement partners in order to understand and minimize any possible impact.
Clop’s ransomware attacks have made it possible for Clop to make millions in just two years. Victims included Shell oil, American bank Flagstar, and University of California.
Russian hackers have stolen confidential information from some British police officers in a security breach that was embarrassing (file photo).
Similar to other ransomware groups it also sends “phishing” emails to employees. Although they appear authentic, the email actually contains a sophisticated virus which harvests information when it is opened.
Faced with the prospect of sensitive material being leaked, some firms pay the ransom, including US insurance giant CNA Financial which reportedly paid out $40 million (£30 million) earlier this year.
Clop was revealed by the MoS last month as having targeted Stor-A-File in Britain. This data storage company serves a variety of clients including GPs and local councils.
According to a National Crime Agency spokesperson, the agency was aware that Dacoll had been affected by an incident and is supporting the investigation.
Dacoll spokesmen said, “We are the victims in a cyber attack on October 5th.”
“We were quickly able to get back to our usual operational levels. It was a minor incident that occurred in an internal network, not linked with any services or networks for clients.