A group of hackers linked to Vladimir Putin breached security at eight UK military bases, leaking Ministry of Defence (MoD) staff details and emails on the dark web. The cybercriminals infiltrated a contractor used by the MoD, bypassing Armed Forces cyber defenses through the Dodd Group. The breach, attributed to the Russian group Lynx, is under investigation by the MoD, affecting sites like RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, where US Air Force F-35 stealth jets and suspected nuclear weapons are stationed.
This incident follows a recent warning from the National Cyber Security Centre regarding the surge in hacking attacks in the UK. The country witnessed a record 204 such attacks in the year leading up to September, according to MailOnline. The MoD spokesperson emphasized their proactive stance against cyber threats, confirming an ongoing investigation into the published MoD information on the Dark Web.
Last year, a large-scale hack exposed personal data of service personnel and veterans, including names, bank details, and some addresses stored in the payroll system, potentially impacting up to 272,000 individuals. Additionally, the Government set up the Afghanistan Response Route to address the leakage of sensitive details of individuals in Afghanistan due to an error by a defense official in February 2022.
Russia has faced previous accusations of cyber attacks, including targeting a Spanish Air Force plane carrying the country’s defense minister over Kaliningrad. The incident occurred en route to Lithuania for a meeting with the Lithuanian defense minister, as per the Spanish government’s itinerary.