MoD ‘probes’ breach of login details of almost 600 staff stolen

Cybercriminal groups have stolen emails and passwords belonging to nearly 600 British armed personnel, Ministry of Defence civil servants, and defence contractors and posted them on the dark web since 2020, it has been claimed.

The Defence Ministry has launched a probe into the alleged security breach, the i paper reports.

The stolen data includes email addresses and as well as log-in information neccessary for the MOD’s Defence Gateway portal – a secure online platform used by all British military personnel, the outlet claims.

The system doesn’t contain classified information, but it is integral to staff communication and provides access to HR and health data, according to the ministry.

The MOD told the newspaper it is constantly investigating the theft of credentials alongside the Government’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

Searches are carried out on the dark web for stolen credentials so they can be repatriated. The majority of the data was allegedly stolen from staff using personal devices to log into the Defence Gateway platform.

Cyber security experts have warned there a a risk that cybercriminals could access other sensitive credentials of staff in the ministry, including private email and social media accounts and online banking, which could make them vulnerable to blackmail.

Many of employees who were allegedly exposed are based in the UK, thought accounts were also stolen from MOD staff located in Iraq, Qatar, Cyprus and mainland Europe, the paper claimed, raising fears of a significant security risk.

Express.co.uk has approached the MoD for comment via email.

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