British troops and Afghans' passport details targeted in cyber attack
An alert was sent to about 3,700 affected individuals on Friday, with some having had their data breached for the second time.
Personal information including passport number, name, date of birth could have been targeted after emails containing flight information were hacked, according to The Times. Former Tory ministers have also been affected by the data breach.
It happened after Inflite, a third-party subcontractor used by the Ministry of Defence, suffered a ransomware attack, it was reported on Friday.
The MoD alert warned: 'There is a risk that some of your or your family's personal information may be affected. This may include passport details (including name, data of birth, and passport number) and Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (Arap) reference numbers.'
It urged those emailed to 'please remain vigilant and be alert to unexpected communication or unusual activity'.
'Criminal gang could be behind attack'
It is believed a criminal gang could be behind the attack that was revealed on Friday, but Iran and Russia have not been ruled out as being involved. Of the 3,700 individuals targeted, more than 100 British personnel have been affected, according to sources.
Afghans who were rescued from the Taliban and travelled through London Stansted airport may also been targeted.
There is no suggestion that information has been released publicly or on the dark web.
A Government spokesman said: 'We were recently notified that a third-party subcontractor to a supplier experienced a cybersecurity incident involving unauthorised access to a small number of its emails that contained basic personal information.
'We take data security extremely seriously, and are going above and beyond our legal duties in informing all potentially affected individuals. The incident has not posed any threat to individuals' safety, nor compromised any Government systems.'
On Aug 10, a statement published to Inflite The Jet Centre's website said the breach involved data from January and March 2024.
Inflite, which offers ground-handling services for flights to the airport through Inflite The Jet Centre, is used by the UK to support Afghans travelling for refuge to the UK and also is operating flights for the Cabinet Office.
It comes after, in February 2022, the details of almost 25,000 Afghans – including 18,800 soldiers – who had applied for the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy were released 'in error' by a defence official.
The then Tory government sought, and was granted, a super injunction to keep the breach a secret as it established a covert relocation scheme to bring the affected Afghan soldiers and their family members to the UK, amid fears they could be targeted by the Taliban.
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