The personal details of around 100,000 UK police officers have reportedly appeared on the dark web after cybercriminals breached a key law enforcement database, exposing officers’ identities and force affiliations.
According to The Times, the breach targeted the Police National Legal Database (PNLD), an online legal resource used by police forces across England and Wales. Authorities believe the attack was carried out by the cybercriminal group ExfilSquad as part of a wider campaign against Western institutions.
The incident follows reported cyberattacks affecting the Ministry of Defence, Home Office, National Crime Agency (NCA), Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and, more recently, the Department for Education (DfE).
One police officer whose information was exposed said the leak posed a serious security risk.
“I have worked in serious organised crime and put high-level criminals behind bars. For private information to be leaked about me is very disconcerting and puts officers at serious risk,” the officer said.
The officer added that the nature of the job had previously required moving into safe houses and changing vehicles, and that the breach had heightened concerns about personal safety.
In a separate attack, hackers published 607,000 records stolen from the Department for Education on the dark web. The group behind the breach demanded payment from victims, warning that leaked data would remain publicly available indefinitely.
The PNLD is widely used by police officers for legal reference during routine policing, and police forces across England and Wales employ more than 145,000 full-time officers. Authorities are continuing to investigate the breach and assess its impact.