The Legal Aid Agency data breach – Information for clients
The Legal Aid Agency has confirmed that it has suffered a cyber-attack which has led to a significant data breach affecting all individuals who have applied for Legal Aid since 2010.
The full statement from the Legal Aid Agency and Ministry of Justice can be found on Gov.uk – https://www.gov.uk/government/news/legal-aid-agency-data-breach
The Legal Aid Agency and the Ministry of Justice have confirmed that the compromised data may include:
- Dates of birth
- Addresses
- Contact details (from this, we presume the Legal Aid Agency may mean telephone numbers and email addresses)
- National Insurance numbers
- Criminal records
- Employment history
- Financial information, which may include contribution amounts, debts and payments.
The Legal Aid Agency are warning members of the public who have been in receipt of Legal Aid since 2010 to be vigilant and take steps to protect themselves and their data. Such steps include:
- Being alert to any suspicious messages (text, WhatsApp or otherwise), emails and telephone calls.
- Change any passwords that may have been used in connection with the Legal Aid Agency’s online portal.
- Not to disclose or share any personal or financial information or data unless individuals are certain who they are speaking with.
The Legal Aid Agency and Ministry of Justice have reminded or directed people to the National Cyber Security Centre for guidance on protective measures to take following a data breach – please see https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/data-breaches.
We are monitoring the situation and contacting clients who may be impacted. If you believe you may have been affected or you are concerned about this data breach, please contact your current or former legal adviser.
At GA, we have already taken protective steps and measures and will continue to carefully monitor this situation.
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