London’s Metropolitan Police force has increased its security measures following a recent hack on a company that holds details of its officers and staff. The force announced on Saturday that there had been unauthorized access to the IT system of one of its suppliers. The unnamed company had access to names, ranks, photos, vetting levels, and payroll numbers of officers and staff. However, personal information such as addresses, phone numbers, and financial details were not compromised.

In response to the incident, the force is collaborating with the company to determine if there has been any breach of Metropolitan Police data, and has reported the incident to the National Crime Agency. The breach has caused significant concern and anger among officers, as the Metropolitan Police Federation described it as a staggering security breach that should have been prevented. Rick Prior, Vice Chair of the federation, highlighted the need for stringent safeguards and checks to protect the valuable personal information that, if in the wrong hands, could result in irreparable damage.

This breach comes shortly after another incident in which the Police Service of Northern Ireland unintentionally published personal information of over 10,000 officers and staff in response to a freedom of information request. Authorities are now concerned that the obtained information may have fallen into the hands of Irish Republican Army dissidents, who continue to launch occasional attacks on the police even 25 years after Northern Ireland’s peace accord. The fear of potential attacks and misuse of sensitive data emphasizes the urgency for stronger cybersecurity measures within law enforcement agencies.