Met Police reported DATA BREACH to the NCA and the ICO.

The Metropolitan Police is investigating a possible data breach after "unauthorised access" was gained to the systems of one of its suppliers.

The force said the company held names, ranks, photos, vetting levels, and pay numbers for officers and staff and that it was working to understand what data, if any, had been accessed.

It said it had also taken additional "security measures".

The force's staff association said the breach will cause "concern and anger".

A spokesperson for the Met was unable to say when the breach occurred or how many personnel might have been affected but added that the company in question did not hold personal information such as addresses, phone numbers, or financial details.

The incident has been reported to the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the information commissioner.

Rick Prior, vice chair of the Metropolitan Police Federation, which represents more than 30,000 officers in the force, said that any compromised information could, in the wrong hands, "do incalculable damage".

"Metropolitan Police officers are - as we speak - out on the streets of London undertaking some of the most difficult and dangerous roles imaginable to catch criminals and keep the public safe," he said.

"To have their personal details potentially leaked into the public domain in this manner - for all to see - will cause colleagues incredible concern and anger.

"We will be working with the force to mitigate the dangers and risks this disclosure could have on our colleagues.

"And [we] will be holding the Metropolitan Police to account for what has happened."

A spokesperson for the NCA said the agency was "aware of the cyber incident" and "working with law enforcement partners to understand the impact".

The breach comes just weeks after

• The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) admitted it hadmistakenly published personal information about all its 10,000 staff. The force said all Police and civilian personnel 1] surname and first initial, 2] rank or grade, 3] where they were based, and 3] their unit was released https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-66445452
• Norfolk and Suffolk Police later announcedit had mistakenly released information about more than 1,200 people, including victims and witnesses of crime https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66510136
• South Yorkshire Police referred itself to the information commissioner after "a significant and unexplained reduction" in data such as bodycam footage stored on its systems. This loss, it said, could affect some 69 cases. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-south-yorkshire-66591197

SOURCE

https://www-bbc-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66631386.amp