London police on high alert after 'unauthorized access' to information technology system

London's Metropolitan Police announced on Sunday that they are taking security measures following an "unauthorized access to an information technology system belonging to one of its associates," in the wake of a data breach involving another force. 

They added that the breached company possessed names of officers and employees, their ranks, photos, levels of authority, salary figures, but not addresses, phone numbers, or financial details. 

The Sun on Sunday newspaper reported that "cyber crooks penetrated the IT systems" of the company, which reports suggest prints identity cards and permits for employees of the capital police, the largest police force in the United Kingdom. 

Scotland Yard stated that investigators are currently collaborating with the company to determine whether there are any security lapses related to its data. 

A London police spokesperson announced that they could not determine the date of the breach or the number of individuals who might be affected. 

The police stated in a statement, "Security measures have been taken... as a result of this report." 

The Police Federation, representing police personnel, said that the breach "will cause unreasonable concern and anger among colleagues." 

Rick Prior, vice chair of the Metropolitan Police Federation, said, " We share that sense of fury… this is a staggering security breach that should never have happened." 

This comes after the Police Service of Northern Ireland admitted this month that personal data of all its employees were accidentally published in response to a Freedom of Information request. 

The details included information on around ten thousand officers and staff in the Northern Ireland police, encompassing their first initial, surname, rank or grade, location, and the unit they work in. 

This mistake comes months after the threat level in the UK's province was raised to "severe" in response to an assassination attempt on a senior police officer by dissident republicans. 

Following the disclosure of the breach in the Northern Ireland police, Norfolk and Suffolk Police in Britain also announced that personal data of over a thousand individuals, including victims of crimes, had been leaked in another response to a Freedom of Information request. 

South Yorkshire Police reviewed the Information Commissioner's Office on Wednesday after noticing "a significant and unjustified drop in data stored on its systems." 

AFP