Russian hackers hit eight UK military bases, steal highly classified files
Photo: Russian hackers attack UK military bases (Getty Images)
The United Kingdom has launched an investigation into a large-scale cyberattack that gave hackers access to classified data from eight military bases, Daily Mirror reports.
A Russian hacker group linked to Vladimir Putin breached the systems of the UK Ministry of Defense.
The attackers gained access to:
- Internal documents;
- Personnel lists;
- Official email addresses;
- Other confidential information, some of which was later published on the dark web.
Russian cyberattack
Reports indicate that hackers entered the system through the contractor company Dodd Group, which provides services to military facilities. The UK Ministry of Defense called the incident "catastrophic." Hackers were able to bypass the multi-layered cybersecurity system and access data related to the security of several military bases.
Among the targeted sites was Lakenheath Air Base in Suffolk, which hosts US F-35 fighter jets. According to British media, this base may also store nuclear weapons.
The breach may involve the Russian hacker group Lynx, which has been implicated in similar investigations in the past.
Personal data of service members and veterans, including names, banking details, and addresses, may have fallen into the hands of the attackers. Payroll records contained information on approximately 272,000 military personnel, making this leak one of the largest in the history of the UK Ministry of Defense.
Earlier reports covered a cyberattack that disrupted operations at several European airports. The attack affected airports in London, Brussels, and Berlin.
In the days leading up to the parliamentary elections on October 3-4, the Czech Republic recorded increased cyberattacks from Russia.
In December of last year, Russian hackers targeted the state registries of the Ukrainian Ministry of Justice. This was one of the largest cyberattacks since the full-scale war began.
