threat updates
UK
The Electoral Commission has revealed that it has been struck by a ‘ complex cyberattack ’ which saw cybercriminals access electoral registers .
The initial breach occurred in August 2021 as ‘ hostile actors ’ gained access to copies of electoral registers , but the attack was not identified until October 2022 , over a year later .
The Electoral Commission admitted that the breach resulted in personal data – such as home addresses and personal images – being compromised , as well as email addresses , names and telephone numbers .
Shaun McNally , Chief Executive of the Electoral Commission , warned that the attack did not influence electoral outcomes , saying : “ The UK ’ s democratic process is significantly dispersed and key aspects of it remain based on paper documentation and counting .
“ This means it would be very hard to use a cyberattack to influence the process . Nevertheless , the successful attack on the Electoral Commission highlights that organisations involved in elections remain a target and need to remain vigilant to the risks to processes around our elections .”
Every police officer in Northern Ireland has had their personal details leaked , leaving officers and their families ‘ frightened ’, following a staff data breach .
The names , work locations and ranks of all officers were leaked in response to a freedom of information ( FOI ) request .
Police Service Northern Ireland Assistant Chief Constable , Chris Todd , said the breach was ‘ unacceptable ’ and that the Information Commissioner ’ s Office ( ICO ) had been informed of the significant data breach .
Reacting to the news , Andy Ward , VP International at Absolute Software , said : “ Major organisations such as police departments are among the primary targets for cyber incidents due to the vast amount of sensitive and personal data stored on their systems and with that must take extra caution when it comes to cyber breaches .”
24 www . intelligentciso . com