August 14th 2023.
Authorities have confirmed that dissident republicans are in possession of breached Northern Ireland police data. This data includes the surnames, first initials, ranks, and units of more than 10,000 Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) employees.
Speaking on Monday, Chief Constable Simon Byrne said the data is at risk of being used to ‘intimidate or target officers and staff.’ Reports indicate that this includes the identities of people working in sensitive areas, such as surveillance and intelligence.
Chief Constable Byrne further added that the force is ‘working round the clock to assess [the] risk’ of dissident paramilitaries using the ‘industrial-scale’ breach of personal data to create ‘fear and uncertainty.’ Chair of the Police Federation for Northern Ireland, Liam Kelly, urged all force members to exercise ‘maximum vigilance’. He said: ‘We must do all we can to frustrate and prevent attacks on our colleagues and their families. We have to be strong and determined to do everything we can to minimize risk and that means varying the routes we take to and from work, changing routines and re-assessing our personal security both on and off duty.’
The breach was first reported last Tuesday, and Assistant Chief Chris Todd called it both ‘monumental’ and ‘unacceptable.’ He said that measures were taken ‘quickly’ once the data-compromise incident was brought to the PSNI’s attention, and that there were ‘no immediate security concerns.’
It later emerged that a police laptop, radio, and document containing the names of more than 200 serving officers and staff, had already been stolen from a police vehicle in Newtownabbey, near Belfast, on July 6. This data breach follows after the terrorism threat level in Northern Ireland was raised to ‘severe’ in March, after the shooting of Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell by republican paramilitaries. The high-profile officer suffered life-altering injuries.
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