The full names and contact details of more than 100,000 police officers and employees across the United Kingdom were leaked on the dark web following a major cyberattack, British news outlet The Times revealed.

Hackers breached the Police National Legal Database (PNLD), an organization that provides legal assistance to police forces while also hosting information belonging to the Ministry of Defence, the Home Office, and other government agencies.

Officers interviewed by The Times described the breach—which includes data regarding officers' locations—as "deeply unsettling." One official stated: "I have worked in serious organized crime and put high-level criminals behind bars. Having private information about me leaked is deeply unsettling. This places officers at severe risk."

"In the past, I have been forced to move to safehouses and sell cars because of my work. Now I will have to remain vigilant online and watch out for anyone attempting to obtain more sensitive information. It is not a good look," the officer added.

Cybersecurity expert Jake Moore noted that the incident highlights systemic vulnerabilities across UK government bodies: "Unfortunately, government organizations are being viewed as easier targets because they have failed to invest sufficiently to adequately protect private information."

Who Is Behind the Attack?

Reports indicate that a little-known cybercriminal group calling itself ExfilSquad launched the attack. The group gained public attention last week when The Times reported a breach at the Department of Education that resulted in 607,000 sensitive records being posted on the dark web.

The motives appear to be financial rather than ideological. In a statement released on the dark web, the group noted: "Once your company's data is published here, it will never disappear from public view and will circulate online forever. The payment we request is simply a rounding error compared to the litigation costs resulting from your data leak. Be smart and just pay."

ExfilSquad’s activity extends beyond British institutions. In additional dark web postings, the group claimed to have stolen six million records from the city government of Houston and three million from the city of Atlanta. In another unconfirmed attack, the group claimed to have acquired eight million records related to Microsoft customers and employees.

Moore emphasized that the rise in cyberattacks is linked to the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI): "These attacks are becoming far more common as criminals easily automate their tactics and leverage technological advances through AI. The knock-on effect means organizations face a significantly higher volume of attacks, often requiring far less effort from the perpetrator."