Our current and former clients may have seen reporting that the Legal Aid Agency (the LAA) has experienced a cyber-attack and that on Friday 16 May, they discovered that hackers had accessed and downloaded a significant amount of personal data from those who have applied for legal aid through the LAA’s digital service since 2010. The LAA’s press release can be read here: Legal Aid Agency data breach – GOV.UK
As a firm, we have not received any specific information from the LAA regarding the individuals affected by the cyber-attack but we have been told generally that the data that has been accessed may have included contact details and addresses of applicants, their dates of birth, national ID numbers, criminal history, employment status and financial data such as contribution amounts, debts and payments.
As a result, the LAA have recommended that people who have applied for legal aid in this time period take steps to safeguard themselves including being alert to suspicious activity such as unknown emails, messages or phone calls. They have directed people to the National Cyber Security Centre for more advice: Data breach guidance for individuals – NCSC.GOV.UK
If you have any specific concerns about this, we suggest that you contact the Legal Aid Agency directly to ask for further information as unfortunately, we do not have any further details at the moment. Their number is 0300 200 2020 and their email address is dataprotection@justice.gov.uk
